PRomance
by SelfProclaimedFangirlKate
Summary: "It'll be six months, tops," Regina is promised. That's as long as she has to pretend to be in a relationship with Emma Swan, all for the sake of PR to give her own career a boost, to help Emma with her comeback, and to save her mother's political aspirations. She can totally fake a relationship for six months, right? She's an actress. This is just another acting gig. Or is it?
1. Chapter 1: Regina

**A/N: **Against my better judgment (since I should be preparing for my dissertation defense that's coming up in less than 3 months), I started another multi-chapter fic. I started this a few months ago to make sure I wouldn't lose momentum and wanted to have a good portion written before I posted it. So alas, here we are!

This will be told via alternating POV, and as such there's a little bit of setup before our two favorites meet. But, we'll get there, I promise. And these chapters are short because of the meet-cute/chick-lit format, but it'll move pretty quickly. I will update once per week, but hopefully twice per week in some weeks as my schedule permits, especially at the beginning to help get things up and running. Also, hopefully this goes without saying, but this is entirely a work of fiction.

* * *

**1\. REGINA**

The bottom of the takeout bag is hot against her palm as she walks up the back staircase to the second floor of her building, her free hand fumbling for her keys that are buried in the depths of her purse. Her fingertips barely catch the monogrammed keyring at the bottom of her bag, but it's enough that she's able to grab hold of the metal object and adjust it in her hand, finding the correct key.

"Good evening, Regina," a man says to her as he walks by.

She gives a polite nod to her neighbor as she unlocks the door to her apartment and steps inside, kicking off her black Nikes and dropping her bag next to the discarded shoes on the ground as she makes a beeline for her kitchen. Setting the bag containing her dinner on the island, she quickly washes her hands to remove the oil from the Pad Thai that has soaked through the bottom of the paper bag. She then promptly gets a plate out of her cupboard and dumps half the container from Third Street Thai onto it, placing the rest in the refrigerator for lunch tomorrow.

Before closing the fridge, she grabs the last bottle of Summer Shandy, one of the few lingering indicators that Jefferson had been living with her up until the previous weekend. They had been roommates for nearly nine years, moving in together as sophomores at Northwestern and living together ever since. Their only time apart had been when she stayed in Chicago for a two-month engagement with the Chicago Shakespeare Theater immediately after graduation, while he went ahead to Los Angeles to start working toward his on-camera career aspirations. As soon as she closed _A Midsummer Night's Dream_, she packed up her bags and joined him in California. She had moved into their first post-college apartment, a small and somewhat sad one-bedroom apartment he had found in Echo Park, where they had to hang curtains from the ceiling to divide the bedroom and give some semblance of privacy — though they quickly realized it would be better to kick the other person to the couch if one of them wanted to have an overnight guest. More often than not, it had been Regina who found herself sleeping on the black leather IKEA sofa, while Jefferson enjoyed his time with Will, or Killian, or occasionally Alice. Regina had been relieved when they were able to upgrade to a true two bedroom apartment a few years later, and then again when they were finally marginally successful enough to move to a nicer building.

She turns on the television and sighs as she sits down on the couch, looking around the apartment and realizing how empty it feels without her best friend. There is still plenty of furniture, as Jefferson didn't want the hassle of moving inexpensive furniture across the country and opting instead to buy items from Craigslist after he got to New York. But, most of the art had been his, leaving most of the walls bare in his absence. And mostly, she misses him.

As if on cue, her cell phone rings and she smiles when she sees his name on the caller ID. "Hey, hot shot, how's New York treating you?" she asks, muting the television as she pushes her plate aside and rests her bare feet on the coffee table.

"I can't complain," he replies, and she can hear the smile in his voice. She can tell it's taking all his willpower not to let the dam burst with excitement, so she takes pity on him and asks the question she knows he wants to hear.

"How was your first day of rehearsal?"

"Oh my God, it was amazing, Regina," he gushes, quickly recapping his first day workshopping a new musical that is set to open on Broadway at the end of the year.

When he pauses to take a breath, she says, "I'm so happy for you, J." And she means it, though she does feel a slight twinge of jealousy that he managed to be the one to snag a role in a Broadway show, given that he had never really had much interest in stage work, let alone musical theater. His focus has always been film and television, but he happened to have worked with the right person at the right time, and he couldn't pass up the opportunity. But, Broadway has always been one of her many dreams, and she can't deny that she's a little bit envious of his good fortune. But, she pushes that down and focuses on him.

"How's good ol' LA?" he asks her when he's done going over every detail of his first ever Broadway rehearsal.

"Oh, you know, pretty much the same as you left it five days ago. I picked up Pad Thai on my way home, so nothing out of the ordinary."

"Do you miss me yet?"

"Of course. You know I do," she answers honestly, but she hopes that the sadness in her voice isn't evident. She knows he feels guilty about leaving her behind, but he shouldn't. She would have done the same thing.

"I would have thought you would have forgotten about me already…I figured you might be too busy inviting Graham over to have some reunion sex in the living room now that you don't have a roommate to worry about."

She blushes in mortification, thinking about Jefferson's impeccable timing and his tendency to walk in at the worst possible moments during their near-decade of living together. "Ha, no. Definitely not." She and Graham are definitely done — she ended their friends with benefits situation six months ago when he started getting too clingy for her liking. He was a nice guy, and a decent lay, but she had no interest in a relationship with him that was anything more than scratching the occasional itch. And near the end of the arrangement, she wasn't even enjoying it anymore, so she had called it off.

"How did your audition go?" he asks instead, sensing that she has no desire to discuss the Graham situation further. He had always warned her that it wouldn't end well, and Regina hates that he had been right.

"It went as well as it could have," she says. "I won't hear anything until next week. But, it's a great part, so I hope that I get it," she adds. She doesn't like to talk about auditions —she's afraid of jinxing it — but Jefferson has always been the exception to her superstition. They have always helped one another prepare and then debrief their auditions together. And they have always celebrated or consoled the other when the verdict came back. But now he's on the other side of the country, so she imagines a nice dinner out or lamenting together over a pint of Ben and Jerry's on the couch is no longer going to be part of their routine. She supposes they can arrange an occasional Facetime ice cream date, but he's three time zones away and it doesn't seem likely.

"It's a three episode arc, right?" he asks.

"Yeah. At least three, with the option for more, depending on what they decide to do with the storyline. I've never done a dramedy before, so it would be great to have this on my resume. It's not a huge part, but it's still solid screen time. And getting to work with that cast would be incredible. It could open a lot of doors, and it would finally be a recurring thing on a show that isn't targeted to teenagers," she says, sighing. "Not that I'm not grateful for the random Freeform guest spots, but I really need something new," she amends. "I don't want that to become my niche, especially now that I can't play a believable teenager anymore."

Regina had had a modicum of success on a few teen dramas in her early to mid-20s, playing the rich bitch cousin of a lead character who gets shipped off to boarding school after handful of episodes when she's no longer needed, or the new girl in town who becomes popular, only to get kidnapped by a deranged stalker and ultimately killed as a plot device after six or eight episodes. She had been memorable enough to get a solid number of teen fans, but they were moving on to more successful actresses now, and she hasn't found any consistent work since her last series role ended two and half television seasons earlier. In Hollywood, it feels like a dangerously long dry spell for an up-and-coming actress, and she's starting to get nervous.

"I hope you get it, Regina. You're amazing and deserve it."

"Thanks, Jefferson. But enough about me. Tell me more about New York…"

And he does, launching into a story about his adventures the night before, the bodega on the corner that he has already decided he absolutely loves, and the cute guy in the cast that he's forbidden from dating. "They told us 'No showmances', especially among chorus members," he explains. "But, that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the view—"

"Hey, hang on a second," she interrupts him, reaching forward to turn up the volume on the TV when a headline on the CNN ticker catches her eye. "Shit, J, are you by your TV? Turn on CNN."

"No, I'm not. Why?"

"Hold on," she says, putting him on speaker phone. "Can you still hear me?"

"Yeah. Crystal clear. Regina, what's going on?"

She turns the volume up even more as the news anchor changes to the story that had just been teased. "Coming up: The front-runner in the upcoming contentious race for Maine's Senate seat faces backlash after comments she made were caught on video and posted online. Stay tuned for the story after this short break."

"Oh shit," Regina hears Jefferson say.

She quickly shushes him and turns back to the television, which has cut to commercial. "Oh God, Mother, what did you do?"

***.*.***

Jefferson hasn't said anything else as they wait in silence for the commercial to end and the story to continue. She sits through what feels like an endless number of fast food and pharmaceutical advertisements and tries not to scowl when she sees the bitch they chose over her in the commercial for a new line of fancy athletic tampons. She had thought for sure that she would have gotten that part, but they had given it to some has-been professional athlete instead.

Finally, the anticipation is over and her questions about her mother's faux-pas are answered when the advertisements end and the news anchor's face appears on screen.

"And now, for the breaking election news out of Maine. Cora Mills, the Democratic front-runner in the primary race for U.S. Senate, is facing backlash after the news that she made anti-LGBT remarks has come to light."

"What?" Jefferson asks from the other end of the phone line.

"Quiet," Regina says, horrified as she watches the story unfold.

"Cora Mills, who is favored not only to win the primary but likely to beat the seated Republican senator in the next general election, which would make her the first Democratic U.S. senator from the state in nearly three decades, made disparaging comments about the LGBT community. An anonymous source posted a video online less than an hour ago where Cora Mills, clearly unaware that she was on camera, made controversial comments about both same-sex marriage and a discrimination lawsuit from one of her constituents. These statements have caused outrage online among her supporters. Take a look."

Regina is stunned as she watches cell phone video of her mother speaking with an unidentified man at an event. There is no doubt in her mind that it is indeed her mother on camera, as she knows that voice anywhere, that voice that is indeed telling the mystery man, "I don't know why those people need 'marriage.' They have civil unions. That should be more than enough for them. They should take what they can get and be happy with it."

"Jesus," Regina mutters, just as the television cuts to another video of her mother outside city hall.

"Mayor Mills, what are your thoughts on Lieutenant Dorothy Gale's lawsuit against the Coastguard for discharging her because of her sexual orientation, only one month before the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'? Will you be supporting the Storybrooke resident as she goes to court?" a reporter asks on screen. Regina recognizes him as the younger brother of a high school classmate of hers. She thinks back and realizes that he must be from the high school newspaper.

"I have no comment. It's a federal lawsuit, so I will leave it up to the appropriate courts to make their ruling. My thoughts on the matter are irrelevant, and as such I will not be placing my support on either side," Cora commented harshly as she exited the building and walked toward her Lincoln town car.

"Oh, God," Jefferson says, startling Regina. She had forgotten that he's still on the phone. "Did she really have to use the words 'those people'? And would it have killed her to voice support for one of her locals?"

"God, I hate her sometimes," Regina sighs. "This is so bad. And disturbing."

The video ends and the newscaster continues her report. "It is unclear at this time if the video was obtained and released by her Democratic opponent or by someone on the other side of the aisle hoping to preemptively sabotage her Senate bid. While she may or may not be the next senator, Cora Mills is currently mayor of Storybrooke, a small city in Maine. Neither her office nor her campaign representatives have returned our request for comment. We will update you as this story continues to develop."

As the story ends, Regina turns off the television, dumfounded.

"Maybe you should change your name," Jefferson says, breaking the silence. "That way no one will know you're her daughter."

"I don't know what she was thinking. I cannot believe she said that. And I can't believe that she actually feels that way."

"I'm betting her progressive supporters can't, either," Jefferson comments. "But maybe it was taken out of context."

"Out of context? There's no defending that, Jefferson. She didn't even seem to think before she spoke. She was so matter-of-fact about it."

"I know, but I'm trying to give her the benefit of the doubt, because we need that senate seat to go blue in the election. I know those videos are old, but still. She needs to do damage control."

"Yeah…Look, I gotta go. I need to call my parents and find out what the fuck is going on and when my mother turned into a giant bigot."

"Good luck. Call me if you need me. I'm not going out tonight so I'll be around."

"Thanks, Jefferson," she says as she hangs up, running a hand through her hair before she frantically dials her mother's cell phone number.

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks for reading! I may try to post the next chapter tomorrow to get the ball rolling and introduce more people.


	2. Chapter 2:Cora

**2\. CORA**

"Don't answer that," Sidney tells her as her phone rings yet again.

"It's my daughter," Cora says.

He slaps her wrist with the pen in his hand as she reaches for her cell on the table. "I don't care if it's a goddamn genie promising you three wishes. You are not talking to anyone outside of this room," he scolds.

The phone stops ringing and she lets out a breath, but immediately her husband's cell starts vibrating next to hers. She knows Regina must have heard the news, as their daughter never calls them during the week due to both of their busy schedules. Instead, they wait until their standing Sunday evening phone calls to catch one another up on their lives, unless there's something urgent — like this.

"Henry…." Cora says, looking to her husband who is leaning against the doorway of their living room.

He walks across the room toward his phone but Sidney stands up to block him. "That goes for you, too. No one speaks to anyone until we come up with a plan to deal with this mess. Without talking points, we do not talk…to anyone. Not even to your own kids."

She watches her husband sigh and nod his head in resignation, moving past the other man as he takes a seat next to her on the sofa.

"So, do you have a plan, then?" Henry asks the man. He's known Sidney for years, as he's been Cora's over-eager campaign manager and assistant since she first ran for mayor of their town fifteen years earlier, but Henry has made it clear to her that he thinks the man is way out of his depth with a U.S. Senate race.

"Not yet," he concedes, but he quickly recovers. "But, I will think of something. I always do."

"You better," Cora says. "I don't pay you to be useless."

"With all due respect, Madam Mayor, this is entirely your own doing. I will get you out of this mess, but you're the one who created it in the first place. I was hired to manage the logistics and details of your campaign, not to be your fixer."

"Maybe you should get one of those," Henry comments, earning a glare from his wife.

"Don't start, Henry," Cora warns.

"Let's focus," Sidney interrupts before the couple can get into yet another fight. He's already mediated one marital dispute within the past hour, and he doesn't want to do it again. He's not a marriage counselor. He's also told them that they need to remain united, as a rocky marriage would be the final nail in the coffin on a campaign that had been going perfectly until about an hour ago. Now it seems like the campaign is going to be on life support, as Twitter is abuzz with support for Cora's primary rival — Mal Draco's campaign has already seen twenty thousand dollars in donations come in the one hour since the video of Cora was released.

"Any idea who released the tape? Or where it came from originally?" Cora asks him. "I don't even remember what event that first one was from. It has to be at least five years ago."

"Of course it was old, because it was before same sex marriage was legal," Henry points out.

"We have a team looking into it and trying to figure out the exact event and who may have been there who may have connections with any of your political opponents," Sidney explains. "But, we have no idea. And really, it doesn't matter who did it. The point is the tape is out there, and now we have to deal with it. It doesn't matter who released it."

"Fair point," Henry agrees, looking over at Cora as she scowls.

"Mal has already tweeted out her condemnation of your statement and reinforced her commitment to LGBTQ issues," Sidney continues. "Her campaign also just sent out a video highlighting all her work with LGBTQ youth initiatives. There's no denying that her record beats yours in that area."

"So, what should I do? Donate to some LGBTQ organizations?"

"That'll just look like you're trying to buy your way out of it, Cora," Henry says.

"He's right," Sidney agrees. "If you've made past donations you can mention it as a way of proving your past support, but throwing money at them now would be a terrible idea."

"What about an apology and a photo op?" Cora suggests. "Maybe I can do some volunteer work with one of the organizations?"

"An apology is absolutely required, but we need to finesse it so it comes across as genuine and not a forced statement. I already asked your speechwriter to take a stab at a statement, so Belle is on it. A photo op may not hurt, either, but again, we have to tread carefully so it doesn't look like damage control, even though that's exactly what it is."

"So, then what do you suggest?" Cora asks.

"Let's start with an apology statement and see how that goes over among your supporters. I'll keep an eye on social media and preliminary polls to see what people are saying, but right now, it's ugly. We may need to come up with something big to keep in our back pocket, in case this doesn't go away easily."

"Big? Like what?" Henry asks.

"I don't know yet, but I'll come up with something," Sidney says. "I always do."

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**A/N: **I know this is super short (and definitely the shortest chapter in the fic), but it needed to be done. We meet Emma in the next chapter :) It'll be up by Saturday at the latest.


	3. Chapter 3: Emma

**A/N: **Thank you so much for your response to the story thus far, and for the reviews! I'm trying to reply to all of them, but my schedule is a little chaotic, so I may miss a few now and then. But, please know that I appreciate them immensely! I didn't want to make you all wait until the weekend to meet Emma, so here's an early/bonus update :)

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**3\. Emma**

Her eyes burn when she wakes up, wincing as she realizes she forgot to take her contacts out before she collapsed in her bed. "Shit," she mutters as she grabs blindly for the eye drops on her nightstand, promptly removing the lenses and reaching for her glasses. The thick black frames perch on her nose as she stretches and yawns, noting that it's an hour later than she planned to sleep in this morning. But, she's not overly concerned, as she has nowhere that she needs to be for another few hours.

She scrolls through her Instagram feed on her phone as she lays in her bed, the sheets now pushed down below her hips as the warmth from the sun has deemed them unnecessary. She laughs when she gets a thank-you text from Ruby, along with a semi-indecent selfie of the woman with her latest conquest. Emma smiles as she sends her a thumbs up emoji and a "you're always welcome" note, as she thinks back to her role as wing-woman at the bar the night before. Emma had actually liked this Aurora woman Ruby picked up, so she hopes that maybe it won't be just a one-time hookup.

Ruby always tries to find someone for Emma when they go out together, but Emma just hasn't been feeling it as of late. She's tired from spending her days doing so little, and it's starting to impact her motivation to socialize. A part of her is envious of Ruby, who has recently decided to come out of retirement after leaving the game after their World Cup victory a few years before. But, Emma has had one too many knee surgeries and has already closed that chapter of her life. She said goodbye to playing soccer professionally three years ago and made her peace with it, ready to do something else. But, what that "something else" is hasn't sorted itself out just yet. She's been living off residual sponsorships and a few advertising gigs here and there, but it's been rather unfulfilling. She needs something new and meaningful, or at least that's what her therapist tells her. She doesn't disagree with him.

As she prepares her coffee, she scrolls through the news on her iPad, and a story out of her home state of Maine catches her eye. She hasn't lived there since she graduated high school and moved out of the state to go to college on a soccer scholarship, but she still keeps an eye on what's going on back home. One of the many things on her "someday" list is going back and working with the foster system where she grew up. She wants to start a sports program for kids like her that didn't have the money to join expensive athletic clubs in elementary or middle school. She had been lucky that she had been able to join the high school's soccer team without any formal experience, only because they had been desperate for bodies to fill the field. That was when she discovered that she was somewhat of a prodigy, picking up the game quickly and becoming a star athlete at her school only a few months into her time on the team. But her case was rare, and if it hadn't been for soccer, she never would have been able to pay for college, let alone have all the professional success she has been fortunate to have. She wants to give back to her community, but she has no idea where to start, so it keeps getting pushed back on the priority list.

She takes a sip of her coffee as she clicks on the article headline and reads the story of the Senate-hopeful who has lost support from most of her likely voters. Embedded within the article is a tweet from the Cora Mills for U.S. Senate's Twitter account, where the candidate had posted a screenshot of a note on her office letterhead. Emma's eyes scan the note: '_I am immensely sorry for any hurt my misinformed words have caused. The videos you saw were taken many years ago when I did not fully understand the plight of the LGBTQ community, nor the importance of these two particular issues. As a human, I am imperfect, but I am also capable of growth and change, and I want to reiterate that the comments I made back then do not reflect my beliefs or values today. Like many of my generation, I am learning more every day, and I want to make it very clear that I am in 100% support of marriage equality, and I do wish I would have been more supportive of Lieutenant Gale during her discrimination court case. If you look into my record as mayor of Storybrooke, you will also see that I supported the development of an LGBTQ resource center for our town's residents last year and spoke out against the School Board's decision to block the formation of a Gay-Straight Alliance at the high school several years ago. Again, I apologize for the pain my comments have caused, and if elected I promise that I will ensure that the voices of all of Maine's residents are heard._'

"Wow. What a piece of work. And a fake, arrogant bitch," Emma comments as she sets down her now-empty coffee mug. "God, I hate politics."

***.*.***

"Hey, Neal," she says later that afternoon as she's watching Sports Center on her laptop. She pauses the livestream and puts her manager on speakerphone. "What's up?"

"I have an offer for you," he says.

"Oh?" she's intrigued.

"Remember that Tampax Sport commercial you did? They want to film another commercial and turn it into a print campaign, too."

"Seriously?"

"Yep. It seems like the first one was quite successful. What do you say?"

She contemplates the offer. "Let's talk money," she says. She's not overly excited about another product endorsement deal, but she needs some sort of reliable income. She's been cautious with her money, but she can't live off dividends forever.

"It's a good deal. Same terms and conditions as the last commercial, but at a 15% higher rate since the first campaign was successful. Then the same deal for the print ads."

_Well, that's easy_, she thinks. "I'll do it."

"Excellent," he sounds pleased. "I'll let them know. They want you on set for the shoot sometime next week. They'd like to get the commercial and the photos all done in one day, if possible."

"That should be fine," she says. "I don't have anything else scheduled, as you know."

"Right," he says. "Good. I'll forward you the proposed schedule when they confirm it."

"Okay," she agrees. "Hey, Neal…"

"Yeah?"

"Do you know anyone who knows anything about getting sportscasting or sports entertainment jobs?"

He pauses. "I might…is that the route you want to go?"

"I don't know," she admits. "I think it's worth exploring."

"Alright. I'll put some feelers out and talk to some people."

She smiles, hopeful. "Thanks, man. See you next week."

* * *

**A/N: **I'll post at least one chapter (or maybe two) this weekend to stick with my weekend update schedule, since these have all been short updates as the ultimate plot gets set up. Have a great rest of your week!


	4. Chapter 4: Regina

**4\. Regina **

"I'm sorry, Regina," August says sympathetically. "I wish I had better news for you."

"It's not your fault," she sighs into the phone. "Apparently, I'm just a shitty actress."

"No you're not," he rebuts. "You've been in this business long enough to know that rejection is part of it, and there are a hundred reasons why they chose someone else over you that have nothing to do with your talent."

"Is that supposed to be comforting?" she asks.

He chuckles. "It was, but I guess that's not one of my strengths."

"Well, thanks for letting me know," she says as she stands up from her sofa to go get a can of La Croix from her fridge. "And let me know if you have anything else lined up for me anytime soon. I really need a job, August. I'm past the point of being picky. Send me anything you have that's even a possibility. I don't care how small the part. Anything that gets my face on TV."

"Of course. But, try not to let this get you down. Have a good night, Regina," he says before he hangs up.

She tosses her cell phone beside her and stares down at the overpriced can of sparkling water, realizing that she should probably cut back on things like ridiculously expensive cans of seltzer. She tries to take August's advice and not let this rejection sting, but she had gotten her hopes up after she had been asked to come in for a call-back and found out that she was one of four finalists for the part. It doesn't help her confidence that in the past week she had also been passed over for five other roles — three of the auditions were a flat out "no" almost immediately after she finished her audition, and the other two she wasn't even asked to come in and audition after August submitted her for the roles. It's demoralizing. She literally has zero prospects at the moment, and it's giving her anxiety.

She sends a quick _'I didn't get it,'_ text to Jefferson, knowing that if she doesn't tell him, then he will text and ask her later. It's easier to just tell him outright so she can start trying to move past it and onto the next thing…like trying to figure out how the hell she's going to be able to afford her apartment when the lease is up in two months. The landlord will need her to confirm her renewal within the next month, and without a job she cannot pay for it, at least not without a roommate. She's not about to ask her parents for help, because she's almost 30 and has too much pride for that. She swore to them when she decided to move to LA that she would be able to support herself, and she's not going back on that promise. She's made it through the last seven years on her own, so she can get by again. She'll dip into what's left of her emergency fund if she really needs to. Or she'll be forced to go back to her former crappy apartment building or her hellish survival job, but she really doesn't want to do that.

Officially annoyed with her situation and tired of stewing in her own self-pity, Regina gets up to make the leftover lasagna she had in her freezer. As soon as she finishes programming the oven, she hears her phone play "The Funeral March", signaling a call from her mother. "Delightful," she says under her breath as she fetches it from where it landed between the couch cushions after her call with August.

"Hello, Mother," she says. "It's not Sunday," she points out. She's been hoping that she would have another 24 hours before she has to tell her mother that she's a failure during their regularly schedule phone call.

"Regina, dear," Cora begins, ignoring her daughter's comment. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," she says, waiting for the real reason of the call. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, I'm glad you asked," Cora says, prompting Regina to role her eyes.

_This will be great,_ she muses.

Cora quickly fills her in on her campaign status. It turns out, the apology she made had been useless, which doesn't surprise Regina. "Mal is quickly rising in the polls," Cora says frantically. "We need to do something. I can't lose this. Mal likely won't have the votes in the general election to win against the Republicans, so I need my supporters back."

"Indeed you do, Mother," Regina agrees. "Maybe you should go back in time and not say disparaging comments about a large portion of your constituency. That might help."

"Don't start with me, Regina," Cora says. "My patience is wearing thing. I need your help."

Regina rolls her eyes. Patience has never been her mother's strong suit. "And what would you like me to do about it, Mother?"

"I need you to endorse me."

Regina audibly laughs, unable to tamp down her gut response. "And what good would that do, Mother? Most people don't even know who I am, and the few fans I may have don't live in Maine."

"You may not be a household name in all of America, Regina, but people here know you. Maine is small. You're still a big celebrity in their eyes. A beloved hometown celebrity."

"Maybe in Storybrooke. Not in the rest of the state."

"That's not true. Remember all the autographs people asked for when you flew home for Christmas last year?" Cora points out.

"I signed like five things from a group of girls coming home from a class trip…that's hardly a hoard of fans or potential voters. And they aren't even old enough to vote. I don't think you need to worry about appealing to the teen girl demographic, Mother. They won't win you the election."

"Regina," Cora says. "It will help. I know it will. Sidney and your father think so, too."

"I'm sorry, Mother. But no. It won't have an impact on your campaign, and if anything, it will make me look bad. I'm struggling enough on my own as it is. I don't want to get involved with your political missteps. You got yourself into this mess, so you can get yourself out of it."

* * *

**A/N: **Another short one, so I'll post another one sometime tomorrow, which is where things will start picking up :) Thank you for reading!

(Also: someone in the SQ fanfic facebook group asked me last week if I was writing a Christmas fic this year, and I originally said no, as I didn't have any ideas for one. But, an idea came to me and I now have 3k words of just an outline for it, so apparently that will be happening in December. This fic will also have 3 Christmas chapters, but they won't happen until much farther into the story since in this timeline we're somewhere around early August, so I'm not sure if we'll get there in time for it to line up. But, I'll try to keep posting at least twice per week so maybe it'll align. Otherwise, you guys will get a bonus Christmas in January or February lol.)


	5. Chapter 5: Cora

**A/N: **There will be three updates today, because I'm not sure if I'll be able to post as often as I planned to mid-week due to some traveling I have coming up tomorrow morning through Friday afternoon, and I wanted to make sure I got all the chapters up that were scheduled to post during the upcoming week.

* * *

**5\. Cora**

"I have an idea," Cora says that night over dinner. Sidney has ordered pizza for the campaign staff, but Cora and Henry are sitting at the small meeting table in her office with their salads.

"And what idea would that be, Madam Mayor?" Sidney asks, exhausted by all her non-solutions she's offered thus far.

"I was talking to Regina earlier and she mentioned that she's struggling to get acting work at the moment."

"No thanks to you, I'm sure," Henry comments.

She ignores her husband's snide remarks. "I was also reading one of those gossip magazines at the doctor's office earlier today when I was there for my annual visit — one of those _People Weekly_ or _Stars Like Us_ or whatever the hell they're called. Anyway," she continues, "the headline on one of the articles was accusing some singer of being in a fabricated relationship with another singer just so they could release a song together this summer. Some sort of 'showmance' facilitated by their publicists to create buzz about them as a way to guarantee that their song did well. And it worked. It debuted at number 1, and now they're going on tour together, and it's nearly sold out."

"What's your point, Cora?" Henry asks.

"What if we do something like that for Regina?"

"How is that going to help anything?" Henry asks, appearing more than a little offended at the suggestion.

"If she was in a very public relationship, it might help her name get out there more, especially since she isn't doing any other work that is getting her any publicity right now. If her name is out there and people are interested in her, then that will equate to more jobs. Popularity matters."

"And her fame will somehow win you support?"

"It could," Cora confirms.

"You are not going to ride the coattails of our daughter's acting career," Henry says, appalled. "Absolutely not."

"I'm sorry," Sidney cuts in. "But how is making your daughter more famous going to help you and your mess? There have been plenty of celebrities whose family members have run for office and lost…people who are far more famous Regina can possibly be between now the time of the primary election next spring. Or are you now setting your sights on a reality show deal instead of a Senate seat? That may be more feasible at this point."

"I swear Sidney, I should fire you for being so short-sighted. You should have already figured it out. The way to fix this is to have Regina date a woman."

"What?" Henry and Sidney both ask simultaneously.

"Think about it. If I have a daughter in a lesbian relationship, and I openly embrace her and her carefully selected partner, then I can win back support from my constituents and the larger LGBTQ community. I can continue to apologize for what I said in those videos until I'm blue in the face, but Sidney, you said so yourself. We need something big to come back from this."

"Well, this would be big," he agrees.

"No. Absolutely not," Henry objects.

"It's not your call, Henry," Cora says.

"It's not yours, either, Cora," Henry argues. "Regina would never agree to is. For one, she's only ever dated men."

"That's irrelevant. That's why they call it a PR relationship. Actual feelings and attraction aren't important. It's all about appearances."

"Well, regardless, it's still highly exploitative. I won't allow you to do that to her. She's our daughter, Cora, not a campaign puppet. No election is that important."

"It's not your decision to make, Henry. She's an adult. And she will have lots to gain from this too, not to mention that it would all but guarantee my win in both elections. She would be doing everyone in this country a favor."

Henry scoffs. "So now this fake lesbian relationship is an act of patriotic service? Jesus Cora, you sound delusional."

"Sidney," she says, turning her attention to her campaign manager and once again ignoring her husband. "Do you think this would work?"

"Oh, it absolutely would," he agrees. "But, you have to sell Regina on it."

"Leave that to me. I know just who to call."


	6. Chapter 6: Regina

**A/N: **This is update #2 of 3 today, so if you're clicking on links from email notifications, make sure you didn't skip a chapter and are going in the right order :)

* * *

**6\. Regina**

"I'm sorry, what?" Regina asks as she paces the length of her living room. "You want me to do what?"

"I want you to appear to be in a relationship with a famous lesbian for a little bit…just long enough to show my voters that I'm totally supportive of LGBTQ issues and to give your career a much-needed boost."

Regina narrows her eyes at her mother, who is sitting up straight on the couch as though she's having tea with a foreign dignitary instead of plotting a deceptive scheme for her daughter. She never imagined that when her parents called to say they were going to come visit her for a quick weekend that this is was their intention. "You are out of your mind."

"It would work, sweetie," Cora says.

"Don't 'sweetie' me. You're insane. This campaign has actually made you certifiably insane."

"Regina," her father interrupts, trying to placate her.

"No, Daddy, you cannot possibly think that this is a good idea."

"I don't like it," he confirms. "But, I don't disagree with your mother and Sidney that it would work. You can't deny that it would be effective."

"I cannot believe she talked you into this," she says, visibly hurt.

"She didn't. This is your call, and I'm not going to try to convince you to agree to do it. From a campaign strategy perspective, yes, it would do what is needed. But I don't like you being manipulated as part of it. Whatever you decide to do, I will support your decision."

"Henry, don't try to talk her out of it," Cora says.

"Talk me out of it? At no point have I given any indication that I'm even considering this completely batshit crazy plan of yours. Why not ask Zelena to do it?" Regina asks, mentioning her older sister.

"Zelena is in London for another year," Cora reminds her. "It would be hard to pull off the supportive mother act from across an ocean. But regardless, she wouldn't have anything to gain from this, and neither would the fake girlfriend. She's not in the public eye. These PR relationships only work when everyone benefits and the people in them have some sort of visibility."

"I'm failing to see how I can possibly benefit from this."

"Think about it, dear," Cora tries again. "Think about not only what this would do for the campaign, but for your own career, too. This could be what gets you to influencer-level status on social media."

Regina interrupts her. "I don't want to be an 'influencer', Mother. I just want to act."

Cora continues her sales pitch from where she left off. "It could lead to more roles, or at least more recognition. Even Gold thinks it's a good idea."

That gives her pause. "Gold? As in Robert Gold, the CEO of my agency?"

Cora smiles. "Yes. He's an old friend from college."

"How did I not know that?"

"It wasn't important for you to know. You signed with the agency before he came on. He didn't even realize you were one of his agents' clients until I called him earlier this week."

"Well, that makes me feel better, then," she says sarcastically. Gold had only been with the agency for a year and a half, but it couldn't be a good sign that she's unknown to him. She's sure he knows the name of the more successful actresses on the client list.

"And yes, before you even ask, your agent thinks it's a good idea, too."

"You spoke to August?"

"No, I didn't. But Gold did. And August agrees that it's a worthwhile tactic."

"I can't possibly believe that. He's probably just agreeing to whatever the CEO tells him to do," she reasons. August is a great agent, and she would like to think that he would only make recommendations that he believes in. But, she also realizes that he would be crazy to stand up to the CEO on something like this. It wouldn't be worth risking his job to go against Gold's suggestion.

"What are you doing?" Cora asks as Regina rummages through her bag by the front door, digging around for her cell phone.

"I'm calling August."

"No need," Cora says. "Gold is calling me right now. As you said, he's the one running the show. Why don't you talk to him instead?"

***.*.***

"You need to do this, Regina," Gold says, his thick accent filling the room. Cora had put the phone on speaker when he had called, and the Mills family is now gathered around the coffee table in Regina's apartment staring at the iPhone in the center of it.

"I thought PR romances were what gay actors did to pretend to be straight, not the other way around," Regina says.

"That is often the case, but not always, Miss Mills. Look at Ashley and Cara, or Miley and any of her string of female models both pre- and post-Liam. Not that those were orchestrated for PR, but sometimes a same sex relationship can do wonders for someone's image, if only to get people talking about them."

"I'm not even in the same stratosphere as they are. And I don't want to be famous for the sake of being famous. I just want to fucking act."

"Well, then this will be a great acting exercise for you. Think of it as an immersive experience," he suggests. "Live the part."

"And if I say no?" Regina asks, keeping her eyes trained on the phone and not daring to look over at her mother.

"Then you say no. But, I've looked at your resume, Regina, you need to start getting parts. We're not going to keep spending our resources on someone who doesn't deliver."

"Are you threatening to drop me?"

"It's not a threat, dearie, it's an observation and statement of fact. You've had three jobs on screen in the last year, which collectively led to less than 20 minutes of screen time. Your last two pilots didn't get picked up. The one before that lasted less than half a season. You're not exactly proving yourself to be a great investment, and we have a lot of hot young actresses booking parts right and left who want to work with us…actresses who have had much more success on screen in the past year than you have and objectively seem much more promising."

Regina takes a deep breath and can't believe what she's about to say. "For the sake of argument, let's say I decide to go along with this ridiculous idea. Who would my supposed girlfriend even be?"

"I have some ideas."

"Like…," Regina probes.

"Like, it's none of your damn business until it's a done deal. It doesn't matter who she is."

"It's…it's not my business? This is my life we're talking about."

"No it's not, Regina. This is Hollywood," Gold reminds her. "This has very little to do with you. Just be happy that your career will be benefitting from the relationship. If your mother didn't call in this favor I owe her, then I would be doing this for someone else. You should be grateful I'm giving you this opportunity."

"You are all unbelievable. I'm hanging up now," she says, and she does just that.

"Regina!" Cora scolds, taking her phone from Regina's hand and working to get Gold back on the phone.

"No, I'm done with this conversation, Mother."

"Regina, please. Think of what this could do for your career. And if not for yourself, then yes, think of what this will do for my campaign, and for the people of Maine."

"Oh, you mean lying to them so that you can win an election on a false platform? That _totally_ sounds like something I want to be a part of."

"It's not a false platform, Regina. If you wanted to date a woman for real I would be supportive."

Regina rolls her eyes, finding the whole situation exhausting. "Mother, I love you, I really do, but get out of my apartment." She looks over at her father. "Sorry, Dad, but you too. Please, both of you, just go."

"Fine. But Regina, please do think about this," Cora says. She's never been one to beg, but this is as close to it as Regina imagines she'll ever get.

"Oh, believe me, there's no way I will be able to stop thinking about this," she says as she ushers her parents out of her apartment.

***.*.***

It's a little after eight o'clock that night when Jefferson responds to her text with a phone call. After recapping his latest tale from rehearsals, and her explanation of her mother's proposal, she's sitting on the couch with a glass of wine in her hand. "I mean, can you believe she'd stoop so low?"

"Regina, please don't hate me for what I'm about to say," Jefferson says, "But I think you should do it."

"What? Has the whole world gone mad? I cannot believe you're supporting this idea."

"Regina, what can it hurt? And your mom's right. We need that Senate seat to go blue. Look at how often it's been the deciding vote. But mostly, I think Gold has a point. Depending on who he sets you up with, it could help you. I know you don't want to be a social media celebrity, but that goes with the territory. Only a handful of actors can get away with not having social media, and none of them are in our age range or just getting started. If it can help you…"

"This is a terrible idea. And it feels so wrong."

"Well, it's your call, obviously. But in the grand scheme of things, it's not the worst thing you could do."

"It's unethical."

"It probably is. But it's not like this industry is full of highly ethical people, Regina. Everyone lies and embellishes as needed for the sake of their image and to get more work."

"I'll think about it," she says. "I gotta go, Jefferson."

"Love you, babe," he says as he hangs up.

She sighs and finishes her glass of wine, staring down at the device in her hands. Her thumb hovers over Gold's cell phone number, which her mother must have added to her phone earlier in the day, because it had not been there before. She quickly types out a message and presses "Send" before she can change her mind: '_If I were to agree to this ludicrous proposal, how long would this fake relationship last?_'

The response is almost immediate. '_Glad to see you're coming around, dearie. It'll just be for four months…maybe six months tops._'


	7. Chapter 7: Emma

**A/N: **The third and final update for today. (Make sure you've read the last two before reading this one).

* * *

**7\. Emma**

"Thanks, Emma, that was great," the director calls from behind the camera. "We've got it."

"Yeah?" she asks, wiping the sweat from her brow. She's not out of shape by any means, but this she has been going nonstop for the past two hours, and the set lights are blinding and hot.

"Yep. You're free to go."

"Awesome, thanks!" she says, taking a swig from her water bottle and using the towel a production assistant tosses her way before picking up the duffle bag she brought with her, which now contains enough tampons to last her for the next five years and instructions for a steady stream of #sponsored Instagram posts for the next six months.

"Nicely done, my friend," Neal says, pushing himself off the wall he was leaning on as she walks by.

"Creeping in the shadows again?"

"I didn't want to distract you. But, you looked like you were in the zone. You're a natural on camera," he says, walking her toward his car.

"Speaking of…" she starts. "Any info on the sportscasting front?"

He sighs. "It's a hard field to break into, especially for a woman, Emma. That's the reality of it. You're going to have to play the game if you're serious about it."

"What does that mean?" she asks as he steers onto the freeway.

"You obviously have the knowledge and credibility as an athlete, but they need to see your personality. You haven't been in the public eye much since you've retired. They know your skills on the field, but they don't know who Emma Swan is as a person. These commercials are a good start, but selling tampons isn't going to get the buy-in you need from a largely male audience. If you want to be on primetime sports programs, you need to create a brand for yourself. Not just as Emma Swan, the star forward from the women's national team five years ago, but as Emma Swan, the hot, charming entertainment personality."

"Okay, so how do I do that?"

"Well, we need to make you a household name. You need to start attending more events, you need to get your face in front of people who care about sports. You don't need to play professionally again, but you need to be more prominent at industry events, go to more games — soccer and otherwise —and get involved in relevant charity work."

"That seems doable," she nods.

"And it may not hurt to go beyond just sports, too. They always want to bring in new fans and reach new markets, so increasing your overall popularity online may help. Rapinoe has over 2 million followers on Instagram, and I'm guessing only a small percentage of them actually give a shit about soccer or have ever watched a game other than the World Cup final. Let's get you to at least a few hundred thousand. You're hot, you're young. It won't be hard…especially if you wear your hair down from time to time, and maybe wear something other than your soccer warmups every time you're in public," he says, nodding to the long braid she has cascading down her back over her Nike track suit.

"Seriously? That's your plan? Make me Insta-famous and give me a makeover?"

"Essentially, yes."

"Neal, come on. You can't be serious. This can't be your great masterplan."

"Today the career you have online is just as important as the one you have in real life. We need to make you an influencer so more product deals start coming in, which will then open doors to other opportunities and eventually maybe get you the job you actually want. It's all part of the game, Emma. You need to play to win. You should be used to that concept by now."

***.*.***

"Explain this to me again, please?" Emma says, giving Neal a warning look over the rim of her coffee mug. They're sitting in the back corner of a small coffee house near Neal's office nearly two weeks later, nestled into two cozy armchairs facing one another. He had called her that morning with a proposition, but he had demanded they meet in person to discuss it.

"One of my dad's clients needs to be seen in a relationship with another woman for a little while, for PR purposes. When he and I were talking about who to pair her with, you were the first person who came to mind. He thinks it's a great idea."

"So this was your idea?" Emma asks.

"No, not really. But when he mentioned the situation, I thought you can stand to benefit from it quite a bit."

"Who is this chick?"

"That's not important, and I can't reveal that until you agree and have signed the contract…there will need to be an NDA, obviously."

"So I'm supposed to agree to be in a fake relationship with some random wannabe celebrity without even knowing who she is or why she needs people to think she's a lesbian?"

"Yes, because it's a business transaction. Nothing more. But don't worry, she's hot. She'll be good for your public image and this new brand we're developing for you. You two could easily become the lesbian power couple of 2019."

"You mean the fake lesbian power couple. And I'm not worried about her attractiveness," Emma says. "What if she's a clingy sociopath? Is she even gay? Is this like a testing the waters because she's closeted and wants to see how people will respond thing?"

"She has a perfectly normal personality, Emma… well, normal for an actress, anyway. And no, I don't think she's secretly gay."

"Then why does she need pretend to be?"

"That's confidential. If you agree then you'll know more when you sign the contract."

She bites her lip as she thinks it over. "Why me? Why not pair her with another actress who also wants to be a celebrity?"

Neal takes a drink of his own coffee before he explains. "She needs to be paired with someone who is out, but isn't overly famous. It'll be less suspicious that it's all for PR if it's more lowkey and can appear to be genuine. We're going for subtle, but still visible here. It's a delicate balance. You meet all those requirements, plus you stand to benefit from the arrangement."

"How romantic," she rolls her eyes.

"Hey, you said you wanted to work in the entertainment industry. This is what it's really like. My father offered to take you on as a personal client for a minimum of one year if you agree to this. You know how we've talked about how I can help with your sponsored deals, but that I'm not the best person to represent you for the type of work you ultimately want to do long-term. It's hard to get an agent out here, Em. What my father is offering you would take you at least three to five years to get on your own. Take it. You'd be an idiot not to."

"And how long are we talking for this PR relationship?"

"Four to six months."

"Four months?" She whispers harshly, trying to keep her voice down. "Are you crazy? That's a third of a year."

"Yes, Emma. Four months. But realistically, it'll probably closer to six. It needs to be believable, and long enough for everyone to benefit. That'll be enough time to have some candid photos, a few official events, and at least one major family holiday where you're seen lovingly together and convince everyone that this is the real deal."

"Wait, there's a family holiday? We have to lie to her family?"

"Yes, but no. You'll go visit her family at Christmas. That'll be part of the contract. And her parents know about the arrangement, so you won't have to lie to them."

"Jesus Christ, Neal."

"So, are you in?"

She looks up at him and sighs, nodding her confirmation. "I better not regret this."

* * *

**A/N: **The second and third update from today were originally supposed to be posted on Tuesday and Thursday this upcoming week, but since I'm traveling and I got my itinerary from work, I wasn't sure if it would be possible. So, I hope you enjoyed the bonus updates for your Sunday. If I can sneak away during meetings this week I may try to have at least one mid-week update, but otherwise I'll update next weekend (Saturday + Sunday) per usual when I'm back, and Emma and Regina will finally meet. Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8: Regina

**A/N: **Thank you so much for all the reviews on the last set of chapters! I haven't had a chance to respond to them individually because I'm still traveling (my flight got cancelled last night so I'm now I'm back at the airport for round two and trying to get home), but I sincerely appreciate your comments! Because I have no idea whether I'll end up getting a flight or what the rest of the weekend will look like, I'll go ahead and post both today's chapter and what was going to be tomorrow's chapter this morning. So, enjoy a double update!

* * *

**8\. Regina**

Robert Gold is an imposing man despite his small frame, Regina notices as he ushers her into his office. It's a large room filled with random objects, which to Regina feels like clutter, but she imagines they are likely expensive antiques. It's not at all her style, but she supposes that it's nice that he has made his office his own.

"Regina, dearie, it's nice to finally meet you in person."

"Likewise," she replies, hoping she sounds polite enough despite her annoyance with this situation. She looks around the room and notices that they are alone, which is unexpected. "Where is this fake girlfriend of mine? Shouldn't she be here for this?"

"Ah," he says. "She's across the street with her manager signing her side of the contract. We wanted to do that separately so we can review the terms and conditions and make sure you understand them one final time, and then they'll be joining us in a half hour to go over the next steps and strategies for the next six months."

"I see," she says, taking a seat at the table he has led her to. It's an ornate, round walnut table, with chairs that would feel much more in place in a castle in Camelot than in a modern high-rise building in the heart of Los Angeles. She reasons that it's fine that the other woman isn't in the same room for this step, as Gold and his son had finished reviewing and negotiating the general terms of the contract on their clients' behalves previously, so this signing is only a formality. Nothing should need to be changed at this stage in the process.

"So, to review this one more time," Gold says, spreading the multi-page contract out in front of him on the round table. He clears his throat as he reads from the first piece of paper. "We, the undersigned parties, agree to the following terms and conditions of the 'relationship agreement': public displays of affection are to coincide with the expected natural progression of such a relationship, beginning with what appears to be a typical friendship, but then gradually escalating to hand holding, hugging, and affectionate gestures throughout the first three weeks, and then public kissing by week four."

"No sex," Regina interrupts, ensuring that the stipulation was in there. August had suggested she require that in writing as part of the contract. He had warned her that if it wasn't explicitly stated, the expectation would be that sex would be part of the deal. In his experience, the topic of sex had caused a lot of problems in the past for other clients, usually when one client refuses to participate and the other gets angry and it carries over into their couple image, causing it all to fall apart. Or, in other cases, one person goes elsewhere to get it out and is less than discrete due to their own frustration, causing a cheating scandal that was not part of the deal.

"Yes, Regina, 'no expectation of sex' is listed as one of the terms," Gold rolls his eyes. "Shall I continue?"

"Yes," Regina sighs. _I cannot believe I'm agreeing to this asinine plot_, she thinks.

"Both parties agree that they will not date other people, nor be seen with other people in any way that could be construed as such, until the predetermined termination date of this contract. Any third-party intimacy must occur in private and the outside party must sign a non-disclosure agreement before such events occur, and said third party must never know about the existence of this contract. The undersigned acknowledge that by signing this contract, it also serves as an NDA. If either party ever reveals that this relationship is a contractual agreement to anyone, even after the contracted relationship has expired, then she will be fined one million dollars as a penalty, immediately dropped from Misthaven Associates, and permanently banned from said agency," Gold says, looking up at Regina who nervously looks away for the briefest moment before forcing herself to return his stare.

"And moreover," he continues, no longer reading the contract. "You'll be blacklisted in the industry. Believe me. I have the power to destroy both of your careers with less than five minutes' worth of work, and your mother's political career will be over even faster. Being banned from ever being represented by Misthaven Associates will be the least of your concerns."

"Oh, I don't doubt that," Regina mumbles. "But my friend Jefferson already knows about this arrangement. He's the one who convinced me to do this."

"Fine. But no one else. Not even your sister," Gold says. "Not ever."

"Fine by me. Believe me, I don't want anyone to know about this anymore than you do," Regina says. "This is an embarrassment."

"Good. We're on the same page, then." Gold picks up the contract again and resumes reading. "The undersigned parties must be seen casually in public as if they are on dates in addition to the pre-determined list of official events, and the parties must abide to the planned social media responsibilities and live appearances. Additionally, three trips are expected as part of the contract: a family event in October, another at Christmas to be seen with family in a casual setting, and a short couple's vacation to be portrayed through social media."

"Wait, what?" Regina asks. That last bit is news to her.

"It was something your future girlfriend's agent suggested and the contract was amended last night to reflect the change. It can be a quick getaway and low key, but it should be just the two of you and something that looks romantic and sweet on Instagram. A trip to see a Broadway show in New York and staying in a swanky sexy Airbnb, or a weekend in an isolated cabin looking at the fall foliage. Something very _hygge_ and 'hashtag aesthetic'," he says, the last words acerbic on his tongue and sounding ridiculous to Regina's ears coming from a man with a thick Scottish accent who is old enough to be her father.

"Jesus."

"Yes, well…" Gold says.

"Fine. We'll frolic through the fucking woods."

"Lastly," Gold continues with a smirk, "the agency will provide tickets for the predetermined industry events, but all other dates, travel, and lodging will be the responsibility of the undersigned parties, costs split 50/50 between the two signees unless otherwise mutually agreed upon in writing prior to the event," he says, looking at her. "We don't want arguments over who is funding these excursions to cause problems."

Regina shifts uncomfortably in her seat. "Is that all?" she asks, a bite of sarcasm in her tone.

"Yes," he confirms. "But if I can offer you a piece of advice as someone who has made these arrangements for countless others…you should try to live as much as you can like a real couple, even when you're not in public, to make it more convincing and seem more real. You need the public to believe you. It needs to be natural. If they suspect this is all for show, then things will go very badly for all of you," he says, standing up and walking over to a small table under the window. He rests his hand on a marble pawn from the chess set Regina hasn't noticed until now. He picks it up and moves it forward two spaces. "I've set up all the pieces for you on the board. It's in your hands not to screw it up."

She's slightly creeped out by his flair for the dramatic and watches as he returns to the seat across from her. "Whatever you say," she concedes as he slides the stack of papers over to her, little flagged arrows pointing out where she needs to initial and sign.

"Excellent," he says, handing her a fountain pen he produces from the breast pocket of his jacket.

After a moment of hesitation, she signs, already sensing that she will come to regret this. "Okay…What now?"

"Now, it's time to meet the temporary love of your life."


	9. Chapter 9: Emma

**A/N: **(make sure you read 8 first since I'm posting these back to back).

* * *

**9\. Emma**

Emma signs her name at the end of the contract after Neal finishes reviewing the details of it with her. She feels uneasy, like she may have just made a deal with the devil himself, but there's no going back now. She pushes it back toward him and crosses her arms.

"Okay," Neal says, taking the paperwork and collecting it in a neat pile. "They should be ready for us across the street, so let's go meet your new girlfriend."

"I can't wait," she rolls her eyes as he stands and opens the door to coffee shop for her, letting her exit first. They walk the short block and cross the avenue, arriving in front of a 15-story building that is home to Misthaven Associates, an all-inclusive entertainment management agency.

She takes a breath as they walk inside, attempting to calm her nerves as Neal ushers her to the elevator and presses the button for the top floor. When the doors open, Emma spies a shorter man, dressed impeccably in a tailored suit and resting his hands on the ornate gold handle of a black cane. As the light hits it when he shifts slightly, she notices that it seems to be encrusted with a few small diamonds. She finds it all quite unsettling, like he's trying to be some fictional villain instead of the head of a talent agency.

"Dad," she hears Neal say, bringing her back to the present.

"Neal," the man replies an extending his hand, ever the professional.

Her friend slash manager shakes his hand before introducing the two. "This is Emma Swan. Emma, this is my father and the CEO of Misthaven Associates, Robert Gold."

"Nice to meet you, sir," Emma says, shaking his hand.

"Yes, well, enough with the pleasantries. Let's head into my office to iron out the finer details of this arrangement," Gold says as he leads Neal and Emma into his office.

"Your dad is Scottish?" Emma whispers to Neal as they follow him in.

"Yep. I was raised here so I never developed an accent."

"Huh."

As Emma walks into the room, she can't help but widen her eyes as she sees the brunette who is seated at the table, her legs covered to the knee with a black pencil skirt, but then bare down to the snake print four-inch stilettos. Her eyes trail back up and notice the woman's crisp white blouse, perfectly tailored to mold to her every curve. _Holy shit, she's gorgeous_. She feels her mouth go dry, but she manages to speak, shaking herself out of her initial shock. "Hi, I'm Emma Swan," she says, extending her hand out toward the other woman.

"Regina Mills," the brunette nods as she stands up and accepts the proffered hand.

Emma tries to smile as she sees Regina give her the once over, but feels woefully underdressed and skinny jeans, grey v-neck tee shirt and her trusty white Converse. She forces herself to withdraw her hand when she realizes that she's still holding Regina's in an uncomfortable, too-long handshake.

"Well, now that we've gotten that awkwardness out of the way…" Neal says.

"Yes," Gold cuts in as he motions for Emma and Regina to sit together on the small loveseat, which they quickly do. "You may as well get comfortable sitting in close proximity to one another," he says. "We'll be expecting cuddling selfies sooner rather than later."

Emma can hear Regina vocalize her distaste with the idea as she feels the brunette shift uncomfortably next to her, their thighs lightly grazing one another as they settle into their positions.

"Now, first things first," Gold continues. "Take out your phones and start following each other on all your social media platforms. That includes your personal Facebooks, as nosy fans will inevitably find those and we want to have all ours bases covered."

Emma reaches into her back pocket and pulls out her phone, as Regina produces hers from the side pocket of her handbag. They both oblige, ensuring that they have the correct social media handles. "Okay, done," Emma says.

"Good. Now, exchange phones and enter your numbers so you can reach each other easily. Neal and I don't want to be babysitting you for the next six months, so you're going to be in charge of arranging your own dates — at least the more casual ones. But," he says as he watches them exchange contact information, "I expect updates, and if you're going out I want to know when and where so we can make sure some people catch it on camera for the gossip news sites."

"You're going to call the paparazzi on us?" Emma asks in disbelief.

"Of course. How else do you think people end up in the news? Some of it is serendipitous timing from paps who stand around and wait, but most of it is pre-arranged by their publicists and agents. We'll start with some more subtle approaches — small bloggers or fan accounts who we'll tip off anonymously that you were seen headed in the direction of a particular café so they can catch you there, then we'll infiltrate the lesbian celebrity conspiracy forums to get some fans involved to help substantiate the rumors and build intrigue. Then we'll build to the bigger gossip sites – we'll flat out submit tips and articles to JustJared, TMZ, Perez, and the like once your names have been out there more, and we'll call our trusted photographers to have on standby when you go to the bigger celebrity haunts for dinner. A few well-timed photos of you coming out of a beloved romantic restaurant holding hands while you wait for the valet…all the usual tactics."

Emma looks over at Regina, who looks just as shocked as Emma feels at the level of structure and plotting involved. It feels gross.

"Now, let's discuss strategy," Neal says.

"Wait, all of that wasn't the strategy?" Emma asks.

"Oh, we've just scratched the surface, dearie," Gold smiles.

Emma is completely dumbfounded as Gold starts to rattle off the expectations for their social media and appearances for the next handful of months. He's at least prepared a document, an editorial and engagement calendar of sorts, so she can follow along with his instructions. Her eyes start to blur from all the tiny print in the small calendar boxes outlining today through January of next year.

"So, this week we ease into it. In terms of social media, you'll start with one or two Instagram posts per week with one another for the first three weeks and then significantly increase the number each week as the relationship 'develops.' You should include each other in your Instagram stories, too. If you're not physically photographing or taking videos with each other, you need to tag each other…come up with some sort of inside joke and post it, or post 'thinking of you' type pictures to keep up appearances. You will also need to go on weekly dates to allow for these sightings and to create buzz, and you can Instagram your meals or whatever it is you're doing to help keep your post counts up. But, be subtle. If you try too hard, it'll backfire. Occasionally, take a photo and don't tag the other person, but make sure she can be seen in the background so it's clear you're together, but without making the post about that. We need the speculation. Domesticity is good, too – go grocery shopping together or post Instagram stories of you cooking dinner or chilling out at home together. Neal and I will be doing our part behind the scenes to facilitate this as well," Gold explains.

"Okay…" Regina says, ever the professional, trying to follow along on her own calendar and jotting down a few notes.

"You'll attend an event together casually with some other clients from Misthaven Associates at the end of next week. In week three, you'll go to a sporting event together, and then a concert in week four. By that point, your PDA should be in full force and you can use that to officially confirm your relationship and declare your love for one another online."

Emma winces and shifts a little in her seat, catching Regina's eye as she does so. The brunette looks just as uncomfortable about this scheme.

"After that one month mark, it'll be clear you're an item, so the speculation aspect will die down. But, we still need to keep you on people's screens. If you fade away, then this is all for nothing. We need people to stay engaged with your love story. You'll attend more industry events and get photographed whenever possible. We're angling for you to become entertainment's new lesbian power couple. At some point in that second month, I'll call a few tabloids so that they can photograph Emma leaving Regina's apartment in the morning, and then Regina leaving Emma's place on a different day. During that third month, probably around week nine, you should be seen going furniture shopping to give illusion that you may potentially moving in together, or that you're at least accommodating the other person into your home. You should plan to spend several days at a time at each other's houses to make it seem like you're semi-living together already, so you better make yourselves comfortable. You're going to be seeing a lot of each other over the next six months."

Emma lets out a puff of air as she tries to stay focused in this whirlwind of information. She can feel Regina looking over at her when she does, but she keeps her eyes trained on the paper in front of her.

"As you know, you'll attend an event for Regina's mother's Senate campaign in Maine in October," he continues, and that's when Emma connects the dots.

"Wait," Emma says. "That's the 'family event' from the contract? Oh God, your mother is that politician who was caught on video being all homophobic a few weeks ago?"

"Indeed, that's Mommy Dearest," Regina confirms. "But she's not really homophobic. She's just an idiot."

"Shit," Emma says.

"It's too late to back out now, dearie," Gold chimes in. "You already signed the contract, so you're committed."

"I'm not backing out. I'm just processing since I'm still in the dark here."

"Can I continue?" he asks, sarcasm in his tone. At Emma's nod, he continues. "You'll go back to Maine for Christmas, at which point we will need some staged candid photos of Cora Mills lovingly embracing Emma into the family. It is not possible to over-post on social media while you're there. We need to sell a genuinely happy family image and a political candidate embracing her lesbian daughter and her partner."

Regina once again shifts uncomfortably in the seat next to Emma, and the blonde can't help but wonder what's going through Regina's mind, clearly a pawn in her mother's campaign.

"New Years Eve will be right around month five of this, so at that point we can reevaluate and decide what's next. Depending on how things are going, we may want to do a will-they-or-won't they break up over the course of January, staging small arguments and creating gossip about a pending break up, or if things are going well and no one is suspicious, we can do a clean break and a 'we're better off as friends but I wish her well' type approach. Depending on which option we choose, whether we go for tragic heartbreak or an amicable split, you'll either need to delete all your photos with each other and immediately stop following each other online, or you'll need to keep following each other and gradually fade out your online engagement until it seems like everything fizzled out, but it's not worth erasing each other from your history. I highly doubt that this charade would need to extend into a seventh month, but if for some reason it does, we'll renegotiate a contract at that time."

"Is that it?" Regina asks flatly, and Emma looks over at her in bewilderment. _How is she so blasé about this?_ _Maybe it's an actor thing. Maybe this is all par for the course for her. _

"I want your first photo posted this afternoon," Gold continues. "You two should go to lunch together, get to know each other, and post something. It doesn't need to even be of yourselves. Regina, take a picture of your lunch and post it to your stories and tag Emma in it. Emma, you do the same, or better yet, repost Regina's picture. You don't even need a caption. Just enough to pique your follower's curiosity as to why the two of you would be having lunch together, to stir the pot a little. Then over the next day or two, pay attention to see if you're getting new followers from the other one's following. Keep an eye on your photo tags, too, to see if any of your fan accounts repost it."

Neal nods in agreement. "You can also use lunch today to come up with a story about how you met, because that will eventually be needed. But, run it by both of us before you start telling it to other people. We need to make sure it fits the narrative we're building here."

"And you need to backdate it," Gold cuts in. "This is one of the most important aspects to this. You need people to believe that you started dating before that video of your mother was released, Regina. Otherwise people will know this is a farce to help her win back support, and I don't need to tell you how badly that would go for everyone involved. So, you've been seeing each other secretly since mid-June at the latest, but preferably even earlier than that. Sometime in the next week or two, meet up and stage some photos that can look like they were from awhile back for a 'throwback Thursday' post for an upcoming week. Dig out an old newspaper or magazine from a few months ago to have in the photo so it looks old. People need to believe that by the time you officially come out at the sporting event in week four, you've actually been together for at least a few months. Otherwise, this will all be moot."

"Any questions?" Neal asks, looking first at Emma and then Regina.

Emma just blankly stares back at her friend and manager, still trying to process all of this. She must have subtly shaken her head, because the next thing she knows, Gold is standing up and saying, "Good. You're dismissed. Time for your lunch date. Bon appétit." and ushering them out of his office.

* * *

**A/N: **This concludes part I. Next up, they get to know each other over their first official "date" (and it will be the start of the longer chapters that will make up most of the remainder of the story). I'm not sure if I'll be able to post midweek, but it'll be up by the weekend for sure.

Also, I have a 15,000 word one shot that I've been sitting on for over a year and will finally post this week or next, so stay tuned for that as well.


	10. Chapter 10: Regina (Day 1)

**10\. Regina: ****Day 1.**

"So, that was a lot," Emma says as the elevator doors close, starting their descent back down to the lobby.

"Yeah," Regina agrees. "That really was so business-like. I knew that this was a thing they did for some of the clients on their roster, but I didn't know it was so formulaic. They have it down to a science."

"Yeah…my head is spinning a bit from all of that."

"I'm sorry you got roped into this," Regina says, genuinely apologetic.

"It's fine. I didn't have to agree to it if I didn't want to, and the offer was too good to refuse."

Regina forces a smile. She wonders what Emma was promised in return for playing her part in the arrangement, but she knows it's not her place to ask. It's none of her business. "Well," she says as they reach the lobby and the doors open, feeling hesitant. "Should we…?"

"Yeah, of course," Emma nods, gesturing for Regina to go ahead of her. "Lead the way."

"What are you in the mood for? Is a sandwich place okay?"

"That sounds good to me," Emma agrees, following Regina out of the building and onto the Los Angeles sidewalk.

As they make awkward small talk on the way to the café, all Regina can think about is how awkward this is. She has no idea how they can possibly pull this off.

***.*.***

It's twenty minutes into their "date" when their lunches are delivered to their table by a woman Regina vaguely recognizes from an audition earlier that month.

"This looks great," Emma says, sending Regina a small smile.

Regina chuckles, mostly from nerves, as she agrees. "Oh, hang on. I should take a photo of this so I can post it on Instagram later."

"Ah, right," Emma says, pushing her plate closer to Regina's so she can get them both in the frame. "Don't forget to tag me in it when you do."

"Of course," Regina says, snapping the photo and then nudging Emma's plate back toward her, gesturing for her to go ahead and eat.

They both dig into their dishes – a grilled chicken salad for Regina, and a turkey bacon sandwich for Emma – and Regina struggles to think of something to say. She's an actor, so holding a conversation with strangers really shouldn't be this hard. But, this is so awkward. It feels much more high-stakes, and she doesn't like that.

"So…tell me about yourself," Emma says at last, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

Regina arches a brow as she takes a bite of her grilled chicken. "How much did your manager tell you?"

"Literally nothing," Emma says. "I didn't even know your name until I walked into Mr. Gold's office."

Regina nods as she swallows. She knew nothing about Emma prior to their meeting, so she's not surprised that Emma is in the same position. But, she hadn't been sure if the blonde had been able to coax some information out of her manager. In the short time they spent together in Gold's office, Regina observed what appeared to be a much more friendly relationship between Emma and Neal than Regina has with Gold, or even with August. She had thought that the blonde may have known more going into the meeting than she let on.

"Well," Regina starts when she realizes Emma is still looking at her expectantly. "I'm 29, I've lived in LA for the past eight years and obviously I'm an actor, but it's been awhile since I've had any real work," she says quietly. They're in a secluded corner of the café, but she doesn't want anyone to overhear them. "I'm from Maine originally, and as you know, my mother is a dumbass and made some comments that are costing her what should have been a guaranteed primary win, and a likely general election victory for the Senate seat."

"And she knows about this deal? She's okay with the gay thing?" Emma asks.

"Oh yeah…this was all her idea." Regina watches the look of surprise cross the blonde's face at that detail. "Yep. She's a brilliant mastermind when she wants to be. It's too bad she doesn't have that same level of forethought when she's speaking extemporaneously, or we wouldn't need to be sitting here right now."

"Huh," is all Emma manages to say.

"So, anyway, yeah…that's about it, I guess."

Emma takes a sip of her Coke and bites on the straw as she digests the information.

"What about you?" Regina asks. "Gold mentioned to me that you're a professional athlete?"

"Yeah. Or, I was. I retired two years ago."

"I see…" she says. "I must apologize – I really don't follow sports so I'm quite clueless and must be honest that I have no idea who you are."

"It's okay," Emma laughs. "I played soccer professionally for about five years. It wasn't that long, but I did manage to get an Olympic gold medal and a World Cup championship during that time, and I was co-captain of the team my final year playing. But, after my latest knee surgery, I decided it wasn't worth going back. I'd rather end on a high note, you know? Twenty six was a young age to retire from the sport, but it made the most sense for me."

Regina tries to imagine what that must be like, but she just can't wrap her head around it. Emma's a year younger than she is, and she's already hit the peak of her career and has had so much success. Regina, meanwhile, has yet to have her big break. "So, you're probably sick of this question, but what's next then? You still have a whole lot of life ahead of you."

Emma picks off a slice of avocado that has slid partway off her sandwich and drops it onto the plate. "That's where this whole thing comes into play," she says, gesturing between them. "I'd like to get involved in sports entertainment, maybe become a sports journalist of some sort or host a show of some kind. But, aside from a lot of young adult women who like soccer, no one really knows who I am. Aside from a few product endorsements, I haven't done much post-retirement."

"Wait a second," Regina says as the recognition hits her. "You're in the Tampax commercial, right?"

"Yeah, that's me," Emma confirms, somewhat embarrassed. "I'm guessing you've seen it?"

"Oh, I have. I was actually up for that part, but they told me it was going to go to a pro athlete instead, but I they never told me your name. I knew you looked familiar."

Emma frowns. "Sorry."

She shrugs it off. "It's fine, and I see why they went the route they did."

"So," Emma continues, cutting through the awkward moment, "Neal said I need to get myself back into the spotlight. If nothing else, becoming a lesbian sports icon is a step in the right direction."

Regina nods in understanding. "Then this agreement makes sense for you," she states.

"It does," she says. "I guess. I don't know. This is still all very weird to me."

"Well, if it makes you feel better, I feel the same way."

Emma smiles at that. "At least we're in this together in that regard."

"Indeed," Regina comments. "And can we agree to acknowledge how weird this whole situation is whenever we're feeling that way? I feel like it'll be the constant elephant in the room, and I'd rather not ignore it."

"I can agree to that."

"Okay, good…So, where are you from originally?" she asks, curious to learn more about the soccer player across the table from her. If they're going to sell that they're a couple to the public, she at least needs to feel like she knows who her "girlfriend" is.

"Maine, actually," Emma says.

"Seriously?" Regina asks. She wonders if this is why Gold picked Emma as her partner. It gives them at least some sort of common ground and may help make this more believable.

"Yeah. I grew up in and around Bangor, mostly. I was in the foster system, so I moved quite a bit, but spent all four years of high school there, so it's where I consider 'home'."

"Oh, wow," Regina says. "Storybrooke, where I'm from, is only about 20 minutes away from Bangor."

"Really? I never heard of Storybrooke before…at least not until I read the news about your mother's video scandal."

"That's not surprising. We're a very small town. I don't think we're even on most maps. It's a cute little town, though. Very quaint and kind of in the middle of nowhere. We're surrounded by forest preserves on one side and the coastline on the other, so it would be hard to just stumble upon it."

"Interesting," Emma says.

"So, do you go back to Maine often?"

"No. I haven't been back since I left for college. My most recent foster family moved away right after I started college, and I lost touch with them shortly thereafter. They were nice and all, but we were never really close. They tried to contact me after the Olympics after they had done some interviews about me as the rookie player on the team, but it felt like they were trying to use me, so I ignored them. I'm grateful that they put a roof over my head for those four years of high school, but we weren't ever much of a real family."

Regina finds herself invested in the woman's story, and she instinctively reaches out a hand and places it on Emma's arm. The blonde jerks a little in response, mostly due to surprise, but she gives Regina a small smile. "Thanks for telling me," Regina says, genuinely. It's then that she moves her hand from the woman's forearm and picks up her fork to eat what remains of her salad. She decides to redirect the subject into something a little more light-hearted. "So, what do you like to do for fun?"

Emma smiles at the segue, grateful for a topic change. "The usual, I guess. There's a bar near my place that I go to once or twice per week, and I like going to festivals or concerts, or just hanging out at home and watching Netflix. My former teammate, Ruby, is one of my best friends, so I'm sure you'll meet her during this whole stunt. She's good about forcing me to go out. I'm a lot more introverted than most of our other friends."

"Good to know."

"So, what about you? What do you like to do in your free time?"

"I'm pretty introverted, too, so not much different than you, in that regard. My best friend and roommate, Jefferson, moved to New York a few weeks ago because he booked a part in a new Broadway musical. He was always the life of the party and the one dragging me along to party after party. I miss him a lot, but not that part."

"Well, now it sounds like Gold is going to be playing that role with all the appearances he has lined up, apparently."

"True. But that's good. If it helps us be seen and get jobs, then it's all worth it, I guess."

"Yeah," Emma agrees. "So, what have you been doing since Jefferson left? Anything fun?"

"Trying to enjoy the peace and quiet, mostly. I haven't lived by myself ever, really, so it's very new. But otherwise, I haven't been doing much other than auditioning and trying to spend my free time brushing up on my special skills."

"Special skills? Like what?" Emma asks, and Regina is surprised to find that Emma looks legitimately interested in her response.

"I recently got back into voice lessons, because Broadway has always been one of my goals, and now that Jefferson is in New York, I'm hoping to visit him a few times over the next year and maybe do some auditioning while I'm out there. I've also been trying to relearn piano and guitar, just to diversify my options a little bit."

"Oh, that's awesome," Emma comments. "I've never been musical, but I'm impressed by people who are."

"Maybe I can teach you a song or two one of these days."

"It would make a great social media post," Emma laughs. "Especially when you realize how bad I am. You'd have your work cut out for you."

"Everyone is teachable," Regina shrugs. "I like a challenge."

"So, should I assume you're not seeing anyone for real, since you agreed to this?" Emma asks. "Or will you be having a line of suiters signing NDAs over the next few months? Or maybe just one secret boyfriend in the background?"

Regina smirks as she looks over at the blonde. "What, jealous already? Isn't it a bit early in the relationship for that?"

"Funny," Emma responds, unamused. "I know it's none of my business, but it would be helpful to know so that I can help cover it up, if needed."

"It's fine, and you're right. No, I'm not seeing anyone, and likely won't be needing that whole NDA for outside partners clause. But, I'm sorry if this interferes with your real dating life for the next few months. Feel free to do whatever you want, as long as it's all within the bounds of the contract."

"I'm very much single right now and past the whole random hookup phase in my life, so it's not an issue. And seriously, you don't need to apologize. I agreed to this as much as you did."

"Okay," Regina says, not sure why she finds herself feeling relieved by Emma's statement.

"And you're okay with the gay thing?" Emma asks, picking up the last fry from her plate and popping it into her mouth.

"Of course," Regina says quickly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know," Emma shrugs. "I just figured that it seems a little strange for a straight actress to want to be seen as gay. It seems like a lot of people go to great lengths to make sure they aren't outed."

"It doesn't bother me if people think I'm gay," Regina says. "I have no idea what this will actually do for my career, for better or for worse, but I'm kind of hoping that any visibility may help someone else, you know? Like, if there's some teen girl back in Portland, Maine or somewhere who is nervous about being able to be an actress because she's a lesbian, then I hope this can help her. Even though I'm not, people will think I am, so that's got to count for something…right?"

Emma smiles. "I hope so."

"I don't love all the lying involve in this whole thing, though, but it is what it is, so I'm trying to look for any silver linings I can."

"Makes sense," Emma says. "What about all the cuddling and PDA and shit Gold wants us to do? Are you okay with that? I know we're contractually obligated to do it, but I don't want to make you uncomfortable, so if there's a way for me to make it less awkward for you, let me know. Or if I ever do anything that does make you uncomfortable, please tell me."

Regina nods. "I appreciate that," she says, smiling at the waitress who comes to collect their plates and drops of the check. She and Emma both reach for it, but she insists. "It's my mother's fault that we're here, so this one's on me."

"Well, then, thank you for lunch," Emma says, placing her hand back in her lap.

"So, umm," Regina says quietly as she slides two twenty dollar bills into the folder. She's suddenly feeling more nervous than she has since they sat down. "...To answer your question, I'm fine with whatever we need to do in public or in photos. I'm not uncomfortable with the idea of you touching me or us holding hands or whatever, and I'm sure it'll be a little awkward at first, but it'll be fine. But, I've obviously never dated a woman before, so is there anything I need to know in terms of how to make this look believable?"

"What, you want a Lesbian 101 crash course?" Emma raises her eyebrows as she chuckles.

"I guess?" Regina admits, embarrassed. "Like, okay, I binge watched _The L Word _recently when I knew this was happening and have been lurking around lesbian gossip sites to try to do my research, but is there anything you can suggest I avoid doing that would make it really obvious that this is all for PR? Is there anything a lesbian wouldn't be caught dead doing?"

Emma laughs, and Regina hopes she hasn't already said something offensive. "Well, checking out guys would be at the top of that list. But I would assume that you're going for the bisexual angle, right? Aren't most women in Hollywood probably not totally straight anyway?"

She shrugs. "I don't know. Maybe. I haven't really thought about it much, to be honest. But yeah, you're right. It would make more sense for me to just say that I'm bi, so that when I go back to dating men after this it's not weird and it doesn't make this look like it was all an act."

"Right," Emma says. Regina notices that the blonde is shifting slightly in her seat, but she quickly continues speaking. "So, even if you do unconsciously check out a dude in public, it's not the end of the world. But, I still wouldn't recommend it. At least not while we're supposed to be happily in love or whatever."

"Obviously," Regina rolls her eyes. "What else?"

"I don't know. I guess just act however you would with a boyfriend in public…it'll just be with me instead. And as much as I hate gender stereotypes, and especially heteronormative ones at that, I can take on the more traditionally 'masculine' position if that makes it easier or feel more natural for you. I can try to take the lead and be the one to put my arm around you, or I can be the 'big spoon' if we're trying to stage a snuggling photo on a couch or something."

She smirks. "What if I want to be the big spoon?" _Jesus Regina, _she scolds herself. _Why are you flirting?_

"I won't object to that," Emma says quietly, clearing her throat. "So uh, have you ever kissed a woman before?"

"Only on stage," she admits. "I played Maureen in _Rent_ in college."

"Yeah, I'm not sure that counts, at least based on a lot of plays I've seen. It's not quite the same thing."

"Well, then, no."

"Really? No drunken nights at a frat house in college?"

"That wasn't really my scene. I was a theater kid, so it was mostly my girlfriends and me with guys who were much more interested in making out with each other rather than trying to get hot drunk girls to make out in front of them."

"Fair point. Well, in that case, I think we're scheduled for a public make out session in week four, according to Gold's creepy editorial calendar. So, maybe a day or two before the concert where that's supposed to happen, we can 'rehearse' so that you feel comfortable with me at the actual event," Emma suggests. "I wouldn't necessarily recommend the 'performance' being the first time we kiss. It would be helpful to get as much awkwardness out of the way ahead of time and so that we look like we do it all the time when the cameras are there."

"Are you just saying that because you think I'm hot and want me to agree to practice with you so you can make out with me more?" Regina teases.

Emma blushes a little, which Regina finds endearing. "No," she says quickly. "Not at all. You may be an actor, but I'm not. I'll definitely look awkward if we don't practice ahead of time. We need people to believe that it's not actually our first kiss, so some pre-planning and coordination would be helpful. At least on my end."

"You make it sound so romantic."

The blonde laughs. "Oh, just you wait."

* * *

**A/N: **This officially kicks off part 2 of this story: the actual 'relationship' development. As you've probably noticed, each chapter in this section will include a day number to help track where they are in their 6-month contract. Next up: Emma introduces Regina to her friends as they continue to get to know each other.

Happy Thanksgiving week to everyone in the US! I should hopefully still be able to post a chapter next weekend as usual, although I'll be traveling for the holiday so I can't guarantee it, depending on what my schedule ends up looking like and if I have time to finish editing the next chapter. I hope everyone has a great week! Thanks for reading :)


	11. Chapter 11: Emma (Day 9)

**11\. Emma: Day 9**

"Why am I so nervous?" Regina asks as she sits in the back of the Uber, her blonde "girlfriend" sitting next to her.

"You'll be fine, Regina," she whispers, aware that the driver can likely hear them. "We'll be fine. Relax."

Regina looks over to her and forces a smile, nodding as she takes a breath.

"It looks like we're here," she says as the car slows to a stop outside of the large home on the waterfront. "Thank you, Jack," she tells the driver as she opens the door and steps out, extending her hand to Regina to help her out.

"Thanks," Regina says shyly as she shuffles across the seat toward her.

It's then Emma realizes it's the closest they've come to holding hands. _Baby steps, I guess_, she thinks before promptly dropping the hand in hers once the woman is out of the car.

"Whoa," Regina says, looking up at the house in front of her. "This is your friend's place?"

"Well, sort of. It's her grandmother's, but she's out of town and letting Ruby use it for her birthday. She ran a very successful bed and breakfast for about 30 years on a secluded lake up North and made some great investments with her savings. When she retired, she bought this place. But now that Airbnb is a thing, she sometimes rents out a room or two, since she has decades of experience to draw on. Quick cash."

"What does something like that go for?"

"About $600 per night per room."

"Damn. I'm in the wrong industry."

She laughs. "I know, right? She only does it a few times a month, but it covers the annual taxes on this place so she's basically living here for free."

"Smart woman," Regina comments, still in awe of the beach house in front of them.

"Should we head in?" Emma asks, noticing that Regina still seems uncomfortable, but unsure of what she can do to help.

"Yeah," Regina says, taking a deep breath and following Emma up the pathway to the home.

It's the second week of their "PR romance", and they haven't had a chance to get together again after their first lunch date, until now. Emma hadn't realized how challenging this façade would be and all the moving pieces required to make it work. Fortunately, the initial photographs from their lunch had caused some intrigue online, and both women had noticed a small uptick in their social media followings afterward — thanks to some sleuthing on Emma's part, they were able to confirm that they now had some followers in common, as a few of Emma's fans now followed Regina and vice versa, but nothing too earth-shattering had happened just yet. But, they're slowly working toward it, thanks to the clear direction and schedule Gold and Neal had given the couple. It appears as though their management teams know what they're doing after all.

After receiving an annoyed text from Neal asking why there hadn't been any social media posts from them together earlier in the week, Emma had called Regina to invite her to Ruby's beach party. "It'll be a good practice run," Emma had told the other woman. "Ruby won't care even if she knew the truth, but we can use her to test the waters. We're not officially 'out' dating yet according to the timeline, so we can just say we're friends hanging out but flirt a little bit in front of my friends. We can see if Ruby picks up on anything. She's been riding my ass to go out and date for over a year now, so if she thinks there's something going on she will definitely let me know and make a big deal about it."

"And you think that will help?" Regina had asked her, clearly still uncomfortable with the entire situation.

"I do," Emma had admitted. "It'll be low pressure on our part. Plus, Ruby has a much larger following than I do now that she's playing on the national team again, so if we can get her to post some photos of us, that should help us both gain some traction. Soccer fans love her. She's one of the biggest names on the field right now."

Regina had agreed with Emma's idea, so here they are, about to meet Emma's friends.

"Emma!" Ruby shrieks as they walk around the side of the house and into the backyard.

"Happy Birthday, Rubes," she smiles as she hugs her friend. "Ruby, this is my friend Regina. Regina, this is Ruby."

"It's great to meet you," Ruby says, hugging the newcomer.

"Oh," Regina says under her breath as she's engulfed by the arms around her. "It's nice to meet you too. I've heard a lot about you. And happy birthday. Thanks for letting me crash your party."

"Please," Ruby says as she releases the other woman. "The more the merrier. And any friend of Emma's is a friend of mine," she smiles, raising a brow and glancing in Emma's direction as she says so. "Especially gorgeous ones," she winks.

The blonde just smiles sheepishly as Regina blushes at the compliment.

"Come on, let's introduce you to some people and get you a drink," Ruby says, gesturing for the pair to follow.

"So, um," Regina whispers to Emma. "Are all the women here…umm…"

"Lesbians?" Emma offers, holding back a laugh. "Some. Not all."

"Oh, okay," Regina says, looking around. "Are any of them couples? I think it would help me sell this," she says, gesturing subtly between them, "to see how they interact with each other. It'll help with my performance."

"Regina, please chill," Emma says seriously. "We're just like everyone else. Some people are super touchy feely, and some aren't. There's no formula. There's no 'right way' to be in a lesbian relationship."

"I didn't mean…nevermind. I'm sorry," Regina says, hurrying to catch up to Ruby who is now several paces in front of them.

Emma rolls her eyes and jogs to catch up to Regina, who has settled into a conversation with Ruby, so she stays quiet and lets Regina get acclimated, hoping that it'll help reduce some of her discomfort and general awkwardness. _This is going to be a very long day,_ she thinks.

***.*.***

"Are you sure you don't want to play?" Emma asks as she comes back to where Regina is sitting on a lounge chair set up on the sand.

"I've never been particularly athletic, and you guys are quite intimidating, not gonna lie," Regina says, eyeing the blonde and the group of extremely fit professional athletes throwing the volleyball around behind her.

"It's all in good fun," she says. "No one cares if you suck. There are quite a few out there who are terrible. Being great at soccer doesn't equate being great at volleyball. I think Mulan is proof of that," she says, laughing as she looks over her shoulder and sees her friend bouncing the volleyball off her feet and knees like the professional she is, but dropping it when she tries to grab for it with her hands.

Regina lets out a genuine laugh, and Emma finds herself enjoying the sound.

"Come on….please?" Emma continues her persuasion. "Or at least come in the water. You can't sit at a beach house all day and not touch the ocean. Come dip your toes in, at least."

The brunette smirks up at her and grumbles. "Fine," she says, though she doesn't seem overly put-out by the notion of going into the water.

Emma watches as Regina gracefully stands up, stripping off her black cover-up and tossing it over her head so it lands on her towel behind her. The white strapless bikini she wears has a vintage vibe to it, accenting the brunette's curves and not leaving much to the imagination. _Yep. I'm definitely attracted to her. Damn it,_ Emma thinks as she backs up a few steps to coax Regina toward the shoreline. She knows Regina has caught her staring, so she decides to go with it. "Is it too soon in our relationship for me to tell you that you're super hot?" Emma asks they continue walking.

Regina laughs as she quickly appraises the blonde, who is sporting a red and blue striped athletic bikini. "You're not so bad yourself," she confesses, nudging her with her shoulder before jogging off into the ocean, leaving a dumbfounded blonde behind.

***.*.***

"Emma," Ruby says as they're grabbing more s'mores supplies from the kitchen. "What's the deal with Regina?"

"What do you mean? I told you I was bringing a friend with me today." Emma asks.

"Oh please, Emma. I know you," she says. "I've never seen you act like this with anyone. There's no way she's just a friend."

_Good, she's buying it_, Emma thinks.

"You're smiling," Ruby points out.

She can't help but laugh. She definitely is smiling, but not for the reason Ruby thinks, so she shrugs and plays it off. "It's nothing serious. We're having fun."

Emma really has been enjoying herself all day, partly because she hasn't had a chance to hang out with her friends from the team recently since they started their intense training schedules again, but Regina has turned out to be great company. Despite the rocky start at the beginning of the day, she's had a good time with the other woman and is glad she agreed to come. They've been trying to subtly flirt in front of her friends, without being over the top, and she can't say that she hates it. It's been awhile since she's been around anyone where she felt like flirting, and it's fun — even if it is carefully calculated and fake. She's been warring with herself since this started and she realized how attractive Regina is, but she's decided she's going to let herself enjoy this bizarre ride.

"For how long?"

Emma thinks back, remembering their cover story. "A few months."

"A few months?" Ruby shouts, a little too loudly. Emma jumps at the outburst, but fortunately no one outside heard her. "Sorry," Ruby says. "I can't believe you didn't tell me you were seeing someone."

"It's not serious. Or at least, it wasn't at first. I don't know. Like I said, we're having fun," she says, hoping she sounds casual. _God, I'm so out of practice. How do people normally talk about these things?_ she thinks.

"Why are you hiding it?"

"What?"

"You don't need to be shy around us, Em," Ruby says. "You've been looking at her like you want to kiss her all day."

Emma can feel herself blushing and her eyes widening. She certainly hopes that's not how she's been looking all day — though she can't deny that the thought crossed her mind at least once. Fortunately, Ruby doesn't notice and continues her diatribe.

"We all want you to be happy, Em. It's about time you found someone. Don't hold back on the PDA for our benefit."

"It's not that," Emma says, thinking quickly. "This is still kinda new and we haven't really defined what we are, so I don't think either of us are comfortable being 'couple-y' in front of other people yet. And I don't know want to make her uncomfortable, since we haven't had that conversation," she explains.

Ruby rolls her eyes and shoves a bag of marshmallows into Emma's chest. "Whatever, Em. And it looks like your girlfriend finished her drink, so grab another one for her," she says, pushing past the blonde and going back outside to the rest of the group.

Emma heads out a minute later, bringing Regina a Blue Moon from the cooler as she takes a seat on the folding lawn chair next to Regina's.

"Thanks," the brunette smiles back at her, taking the bottle.

"So, how did you two meet?" Ruby's on-again, off-again hookup Aurora asks Emma as she sits back down. Most of the guests have already left, but a few of Ruby's closest friends from the team— and Aurora—have stayed, and they're sitting on the private beach in front of a small bonfire they've set up in the fire pit.

Emma looks over to Regina, who just smiles and subtly raises her perfectly-sculpted eyebrow. Emma winks back at her and quickly thinks back to the story they had crafted over their lunch date the week before, turning back to Aurora to tell the story.

"We met at that film festival I went to a few months ago," she starts.

After brainstorming a few different ideas during lunch, they had realized that they had both been at the same event, a small independent film festival, at the end of May. They hadn't actually crossed paths that night, but no one else needed to know that little detail. But, they had agreed that the story had enough true facts to it that it would be believable, and therefore easier to keep straight in their heads when they had to tell it. And most importantly, Gold and Neal had approved of it when the women pitched it. "We bumped into each other at the bar and got to talking while we waited for our drinks. Regina asked if I was going to the afterparty, but I said no."

"You know Emma," Regina jumps in. "She was over it by then and wanted to get away from crowds, so an after party would be like torture."

They both watch as the other women around the fire nod and laugh in agreement. Emma's never been one for huge parties and events, as she's often been known to sneak out of parties they were forced to go to by the national team to appease potential sponsors. Emma's quickly realizing, though, that she'll have to get over her dislike of fake parties if she wants to make it in the industry, as this fake relationship is a clear indicator of what it requires to be successful.

"So, Regina asked if I wanted to get a drink at the bar next door afterward instead of going to one of the official parties. It turns out she's almost as much of an introvert as I am."

In truth, they both had gone straight home afterward. But, that means that there isn't anyone, or any photos, to contradict their story about going to the bar together, as they know there won't be any pictures popping up of one of them at an after party. When they were developing their story the previous week, they had realized that they both had pictures from the event, so once they're "out" as a couple in Gold's timeline, they can post a "Throwback Thursday" post that's generic from that night, with a caption stating something along the lines of: "This is where it all began." If any of their fans decide to go back through their feeds, they'll see images putting both of the women there on that night to help corroborate the story, as they had both posted pictures from the event in real time months ago.

"That's cute," Ruby comments with a shit-eating grin.

Emma rolls her eyes and continues. "So, yeah. We went and got a few drinks and realized we had a few things in common, like that we're both from Maine, of all places."

"We actually went to high school about 20 minutes away from each other," Regina chimes in, reaching over and resting her hand on Emma's knee. "But we never met back then." She turns her attention to Emma. "Too bad I didn't play soccer in high school, or I'm sure we would've crossed paths on the field," Regina flirts.

"I would have destroyed you if we did," she laughs.

"Yeah, probably," Regina agrees.

"Well, I think it's great," Ruby says with a smile. "Maybe Regina can be the one to finally make an honest woman out of Emma."

Emma can feel herself tense at that, but when she looks over at Regina to gauge her reaction, the brunette is just smirking.

***.*.***

"Well, that admittedly wasn't terrible," Regina says when they're in the back of the Uber taking them home.

"I told you it would be fine," Emma points out.

"I know. I was nervous, but I had no reason to be. Your friends are great, and that was easier than I expected."

"See? We can totally do this. They all definitely bought it, especially Ruby," Emma says quietly, even though their driver is showing zero interest in anything they're saying. "If anything, she's a little overenthusiastic. She'll be planning our wedding soon if we're not careful."

Regina laughs, and Emma is once again enchanted by the sound, happy to see Regina finally a little more at ease. "She's just looking out for you. I think it's sweet. And I'm glad she approves of me, even though…" she trails off, not needing to finish the sentence, and thinking better of it given that their driver may not be as disinterested as she appears to be.

"Yeah," Emma agrees.

They drift into a comfortable silence, the alcohol and heavy foods and hours in the sun taking their toll on the women as the car continues down the freeway. Regina scrolls through her Instagram feed to keep herself awake. "Emma, look at this," Regina says, shifting closer to the blonde and showing her what she's been looking at on her phone. It's a photo that Ruby took with a self-timer of their small group at the end of the night, huddled around the bonfire. Emma had pulled Regina onto her lap for the photo, partially as a strategic move, but also out of necessity so they would all comfortably fit in the picture. "7,000 likes in the 20 minutes it's been posted. I've never had a photo get 7,000 likes ever. I also have 300 new followers since she posted it and tagged me."

"I told you, she's popular," Emma smiles. "We should both regram this. I'll share it in my stories now, and then maybe you can regram it from Ruby tomorrow to keep the interest going."

"Good call," Regina comments, scheduling the post, just as the Uber pulls up in front of her apartment building. "Thanks for bringing me today. I had fun," she says as she opens her door.

"I had fun, too. I'll text you in the morning and we can figure out what's next."

"Perfect. Goodnight, Emma."

"Goodnight, Regina," Emma says with a smile.

Regina closes the car door behind her and Emma watches as she makes her way inside the building. As the Uber is pulling away from the curb to take her to her destination, she gets a quick text from Regina: _'Thanks again for today. Text me when you get home so I know the Uber driver didn't kidnap you xx_.'

Emma laughs as she texts her back, promising that she will, and also with a feeling in her gut that this fake relationship will ultimately backfire.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving (for those of you in the US) and I hope everyone had a great weekend. See you next weekend!**


	12. Chapter 12: Regina (Day 19)

**A/N: **It's been the week from hell, so I almost didn't get this done, but I wanted to have it posted for you today so I can cross at least one thing of my list. I hope you enjoy and that your weekend is going much better than mine!

* * *

**12\. Regina: Day 19**

The next 10 days of their forced relationship progresses perfectly according to Robert Gold and Neal Cassidy's carefully crafted plans. At the end of the second week of their arrangement, the couple had attended an exhibit opening reception on women in athletics at a local art museum. The Instagram posts from Ruby's birthday party had been received with the enthusiasm that they had hoped, particularly among Emma's following, given that her sexuality is well-known among her followers. Any woman with whom she is "looking cozy" — which they were, according to many of her fans commenting on her Instagram pictures — could be a potential girlfriend, and therefore is fodder for gossip. That museum event had been another perfect opportunity to continue building their narrative.

According to their timeline, they still were not scheduled to be "out" at the event, but they had been instructed by their management team to continue stirring the pot of speculation. So, that's exactly what they had done. Regina had made a point to subtly hold hands with Emma whenever it seemed like it would be an appropriate moment to do so, or when she thought someone might be taking a photograph, but to an objective third party, it could have looked like typical friendly behavior. The "are they or aren't they?" angle had been a successful tactic thus far, and so they had continued on that path. Regina had also been relieved that Ruby was there as well, which allowed her to feel more relaxed at their first true public appearance together.

Ruby had suggested that they go to an after party at the bar next door, which had been a hard sell for both of the women, who ordinarily preferred small gatherings to big crowds. But, after realizing the bar was well-known as a popular lesbian hangout, Regina had agreed. After all, it would only help stir up more speculation. Little did they know, Robert Gold had been one step ahead of them, enlisting one of his many contacts — this time, a sports gossip blogger — to subtly follow the couple for the evening and take photographs. The blogger hadn't managed to get into the bar, but she waited patiently outside and had gotten the money shot Gold wanted: Emma giving Regina a kiss on the cheek, at the end of the night, right before the brunette got into her Uber to go home. When Emma had gone back inside to get back to her friends, she had received a text message with clear instructions from Neal, which she had followed to the letter: '_We have a photographer outside the bar. Make sure you're seen going home alone, sooner rather than later, so that there isn't any gossip about what you were doing at the lesbian bar after Regina was seen leaving.'_

***.*.***

But today, on Day 19 of their contrived relationship, things do not go quite according to plan, though Regina isn't necessarily upset about it. Hell, a small part of her may even be enjoying this, though she tells herself it's because it's a great, immersive acting exercise. She's living the part and building her skills. The more fans believe it, the more confidence she gains in her ability to pull off any part that may be thrown her way.

"Emma, are you sure this is okay? You don't think I should be wearing more team apparel?" she asks as she looks down at herself once more as she stands in the small entryway of her apartment, getting ready to go on one of the public dates Gold and Neal had arranged.

"Regina, we're going to a Dodger's game. You don't need to dress up like the team mascot. You look great," the blonde replies, quickly glancing over Regina's selection. Regina takes a moment to do the same, realizing that she and Emma are dressed more or less the same – both in a Los Angeles tee-shirt, though Emma's is navy compared to Regina's white tee, jeans, and sneakers. Emma's long hair is pulled into a low side braid, slung effortlessly down the front of her left shoulder, while Regina's air-dried waves are left untouched. "But," Emma says, as she waits for Regina to lock the apartment behind them, "if you feel like you really want some more team spirit, I can buy you a baseball hat when we get there."

Regina rolls her eyes as she escorts Emma toward the stairs. "Shall we, then?"

***.*.***

"Okay, I will concede that this is more fun than I expected," Regina comments as Emma hands her a beer in a cheap plastic cup that she just purchased from the stadium server she flagged down.

"I can't believe you've never gone to a Major League Baseball game before," Emma comments, sipping her own as they watch as the next batter walks up to the plate. "You lived in Chicago for how long? And you never went to a Cubs or Sox game?"

She shrugs. "I was only there for college, so only four years. But, I was never that interested. The game always bored me. It seemed so slow. And mostly, I grew up hating it because the games would always preempt the old reruns of _Friends_ and _Will & Grace_ that used to come on before dinner when I would get home from school. I used to love sitcoms like that and always wanted to act on one of them, so I would watch them every chance I got."

"Is comedy still on your radar? Have you auditioned for any sitcoms?"

"Not recently," she replies. "There for a while I was kind of pigeonholed into the teen soap opera type stuff. And now it's been so long since I've even tried to do anything comedic, I'm not sure I would have the skill and timing down. I should probably look into taking an improv class or something."

"That sounds kind of fun, actually," Emma admits.

"You should take one," Regina suggests.

"I'm not an actor."

"You don't need to be. It could maybe help with any sort of on-air appearances you may want to do and help with the broadcasting thing. It's not just for theater nerds."

"Hmmm," Emma ponders. "Maybe."

"We could always go to an improv show as one of our 'dates'," she says, lowering her voice. "It could give you a sense of what it's like. It's not all about being hilarious and definitely not like _Whose Line Is It Anyway?_ portrays it to be."

As the top of the seventh inning ends, they continue their conversation and block out the loud chatter of those around them as the teams prepare for the second half of the inning. It's not until someone pokes Regina on the shoulder from behind that she realizes everyone around them is staring at them. "What?" she asks, completely oblivious.

The man behind her points to the large screen, and that's when she sees it.

The Kiss Cam.

It's quickly zooming in on her and Emma, and she blushes as she realizes she has no choice but to oblige. She looks over at Emma who is staring at her, and she can feel her own gaze quickly drop to Emma's lips. This isn't at all how this was supposed to happen — they were supposed to start PDA the next week, and they had planned on getting the awkwardness of their first kiss taken care of outside of the public eye so that they would be ready — but plans change. She takes a breath and leans in, surprising herself when instead of a friendly peck, which had been her initial instinct, she draws it out, resting her hand on Emma's thigh and pulling back only when she hears the cheers of those surrounding her. She licks her own lips as she does so, realizing that the camera is no longer on them. She looks up at Emma, who is biting back a smile.

"Hey, we're a week early," Emma whispers to Regina after they separate. "That wasn't supposed to happen until week four."

"Shut up," Regina replies, hoping her cheeks aren't flushing. It felt surprisingly easy, and not at all awkward like she had expected. Well, other than the fact that a stadium full of people, and God only knows how many at home, were watching. But, the actual kiss hadn't felt uncomfortable. If she's honest with herself, it was quite nice.

"Hey, I'm rarely an overachiever," Emma says. "Let me have my moment."

"Says the Olympic gold-medalist and World Cup champion," Regina adds on, teasing her as she returns her attention to the field as the bottom of the seventh begins.

***.*.***

Regina groans as she rolls over to find the source of the device interrupting her sleep. She grumbles when she sees the name on the screen. "What, Mother?"

"Still in bed, Regina?"

"Mother, it's 6:30 in the morning. You forget that I'm three hours behind you."

"Yes, well," Cora says, unfazed. "I was calling to congratulate you."

"For what?"

"For your big coming out, dear! You did wonderfully."

"Oh," Regina says, frowning somewhat. "You watched the game? You hate baseball."

"Indeed I do, and of course I didn't watch it. But, Sidney did and he told me you made the Kiss Cam!"

"Yep. Big accomplishment," she sighs, her eye closing against her will. She's still exhausted, and her mother isn't helping.

"Hey, you were on TV. That's something that hasn't happened to you in quite some time, dear. You should take what you can get."

Her mother isn't wrong, but it doesn't make the sting of her barb hurt any less. "Is that all you called to tell me? This couldn't wait until a more humane hour?"

"Partially, but no, that's not all. _TMZ_ picked it up!"

That gets Regina's attention. "Seriously? It's that noteworthy? It must be a slow news day."

"Perhaps. But most importantly, they mentioned me!"

"Jesus Christ, Mother." _Of course,_ she rolls her eyes. Her mother would only call if this was ultimately about herself. "And just what did they say about you?" she sighs disinterestedly, but playing into what she knows her mother wants her to ask.

Cora clears her throat before she speaks, clearly reading off the gossip website. "Emma Swan, the former star of the US women's soccer team, Olympic Gold Medalist, and World Cup Champion, was caught on the Kiss Cam at the LA Dodgers game last night with a beautiful brunette. We've since discovered the mystery woman is Regina Mills, an actress who has had a few recurring roles on various teen dramas over the past handful of years. Upon some digging into their social media accounts, it seems like these two have been spending some time together over the past few weeks. But, last night's kiss is the first indication that there may be something more, as Emma is an out and proud lesbian, though less is known about Regina and her dating history. Could there be a blossoming relationship here? Or was this kiss just something casual between friends because the camera demanded it? One thing is for sure: we certainly ship it. But if there is a new romance blooming, we can't help but wonder what Regina's mother will think – Cora Mills is making a run for Senate in her home state of Maine, yet has recently been called out for some anti-LGBT remarks she's made in the past. What does she think of her daughter's new suitor? Cora Mills could not be immediately reached for comment, but stay tuned for updates as we learn more about the response from her campaign."

"Please tell me you're not going to talk to them," Regina says.

"Of course we will. It's _TMZ_, Regina! It's such a great PR opportunity for my campaign….we couldn't buy publicity like this if we wanted to. But, I won't say anything until Sidney and Belle strategize about how we want to spin this. We need to make it look real…perhaps some feigned discomfort at first but then quickly accepting it because I just want you to be happy. What do you think?"

"Goodbye, mother," Regina says, having had enough of her mother's scheming for this early in the morning. As she does, she sees a notification from the group text she has with Emma, Gold, and Neal. It's a simple '_well-played',_ and a link to the article from Gold. She chooses to ignore it and instead throws her phone under the extra pillow on her bed, hoping to get a little more sleep before starting her day and planning their next strategic move.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm going to try to have the next chapter ready next weekend, but this upcoming week promises to be just as hellish as last week, and my doc thinks I may have Mono (for the third time in my life, no less), so if that comes back positive I'll definitely need to take it easy for the upcoming week at least. Fingers crossed!


	13. Chapter 13: Emma (Day 47)

**A/N: **Hi all, sorry for the lack of a chapter last weekend. It turns out I do once again have mono, and it's kicking my ass (apparently the older you are, the worse it is). But, the nice thing about being in bed and not able to go to work is that it does leave some time to write...though I've mostly been sleeping. But, I was able to get out a short chapter for this week, and I'm still hopeful that I'll be able to finish the long one-shot Christmas fic I've been working on in time for the holiday. And thank you for the well wishes and reviews on the last chapter - I wasn't able to reply to everyone individually since I've been so out of it, but I really do appreciate your comments!

* * *

**13\. Emma: Day 47**

The weeks pass by and more events and photo opportunities present themselves — lunch dates in West Hollywood; a "candid" kiss at the valet stand while waiting for Emma's Jaguar that she bought herself with a large endorsement check last year; a concert to support Ivy, an actress who Regina once worked with who is trying to make a singing career for herself, with some carefully strategized backstage photographs filled with purposefully overt PDA.

Robert Gold and Neal Cassidy, the father and son masterminds behind it all, are far too pleased with their handiwork.

The two women have fallen into an easy routine, and if Emma's not careful, she'll find herself realizing that being affectionate with Regina is way too easy. The thought has crossed her mind once or twice in the past two weeks, and she pretends she doesn't notice that seeing the almond milk in her fridge that she bought for Regina makes her smile. There's something about the brunette's presence that she finds comforting, but she doesn't let herself dwell on it. Instead, she tells herself that it's a good thing that they get along and have become legitimate friends through this completely bizarre experience.

As she sips her coffee at her breakfast bar, she skims through her RSS feed that alerts her to new stories about herself, and the new feed that she recently added that tracks stories about Regina as well. After all, they're now forever linked in the press, or at least for the immediate future. She clicks on a link and tries not to roll her eyes when the news video on the page begins to autoplay:

_"I have no comment other than to say, if my daughter is happy, then I am happy." _

_"Have you met Emma Swan yet?" _

_ "I have not, but I know she's a very successful young woman. If she and my daughter are serious, then I look forward to hopefully meeting her soon."_

"Why are you watching that video again?" Regina asks with a yawn as she walks out of the guest room where she had spent the night, joining Emma in her kitchen.

"I was reading another news site that links to the video. I'm trying to learn more about your mother," she answers. "Know thy enemy and all that."

"She's not your enemy," Regina chuckles. "Not yet, anyway."

"Mothers never like me," she comments, "so she will be soon enough."

Regina hums in consideration. "Well, this was all her idea, so she'll love you. She has to."

"Good point," Emma says, minimizing the video of Cora's campaign statement. "Oh," she adds when she sees the blog she had been reading before she got distracted. "My walk of shame from Tuesday was well-publicized." Emma had spent the night at Regina's apartment earlier in the week, crashing in Jefferson's old room since Regina still hasn't found a new roommate. They hadn't gone out, but instead had a movie night at her place, posting a few pictures and making sure that Emma was seen leaving the next morning.

"That's great," Regina says with another yawn. "Gold should be thrilled. Is there more coffee?"

"Yep," Emma nods. "I made plenty."

"Thanks," Regina says, pouring a cup and taking the almond milk out of the fridge.

Emma catches herself smiling at the easy, domestic action and quickly squashes it. "And it looks like yours will be, too," Emma adds.

"My what?" Regina asks, confused.

"Your walk of shame," Emma clarifies. "Neal just texted me and said that his photographer buddy will be outside in 30 minutes to get a picture of you leaving my place. He says to make sure you're not dressed in last night's clothing. We need to make it look like you're spending time here. If this were real, you would keep a few changes of clothing here, and everyone knows what you wore out last night from our pictures we posted."

"Oh. Right," Regina nods, thankful that she remembered to bring an extra outfit with her before they went to the bar with Ruby the previous night.

"He also said to make sure we give ourselves an extra 30 minutes for the airport, because Gold has already tipped off some photographer that we'll be heading there tonight. We'll likely be held up a bit on our way in."

"Lovely."

***.*.***

"Mother, this is Emma Swan," Regina introduces the pair as they arrive at the small waterfront inn that the campaign has commandeered for the weekend in Portland, Maine, as Cora prepares for a campaign event to woo more prospective voters. "Emma, this is my mother, Cora Mills."

"Oh, it's such a pleasure," Cora says a little too brightly. Her forced toothy smile makes Emma feel even more unsettled.

"It's great to meet you too, Mayor Mills," Emma replies, shaking the woman's hand.

"Oh please, dear, call me Cora."

"Okay, then," Emma says, chancing a glance at Regina who looks as uncomfortable as she feels.

"Right, so…" Regina says, interrupting the awkwardness.

"Yes, yes, come in," she says, stepping aside to let Emma and Regina pass through the doorway. "You two can take your things up to the room. You'll be in room 107. It's just at the top of the stairs."

"Together?" both women say.

"Of course, dear. I'm no prude," Cora says, winking.

_Oh dear God,_ Emma thinks. _I'm so uncomfortable right now._

"Mother…" Regina starts, but is quickly shushed by the older woman.

"Regina, need I remind you we have appearances to keep up here," Cora says in a harsh whisper. "The only people who know the truth are your father and me, and Sidney. Everyone else on my staff, and the rest of the family, all think it's real, so you will behave as such. They can't get suspicious, because while I trust them, I don't trust them with something this big. They're not _that_ well-vetted. You didn't come all this way to ruin this for me."

"Yes, Mother."

"Good," she says, returning her voice to its normal volume. "Now, run along. Your father went to pick up your sister from the train station and then will pick up dinner on the way home. Go get freshened up and then join us for dinner in the dining room in about a half hour."

Regina nods silently and Emma follows her up the stairs, down the hall to a decent-sized room off the upstairs landing.

"So, that's your mother," Emma says at last, after closing the door behind her.

"Indeed. That's mommy dearest in all her mayoral glory."

"She's a piece of work."

"Understatement of the century," Regina comments as she hangs up a few items from her suitcase, including the little black dress she brought for the fundraiser the next day, and places a bottle of medication on the nightstand. It's then that she looks at the bed — it's a full-sized bed, but it'll be a cozy fit if they're sharing. "Are you okay with this?" Regina asks, cutting her eyes over to the bed and then back to Emma.

"It's fine with me. Are you? If not, I don't mind sleeping on the floor…"

"That won't be necessary. It's fine."

***.*.***

They survive dinner with the Mills family and Mills campaign staffers, which is more than Emma could have hoped. Zelena had been a bit much for Emma's taste, and the redhead seemed to be suspicious of the entire situation, bluntly asking Regina in the middle of dinner _'since when are you into women? I didn't know you were into the vag_', which had caused Emma to nearly choke on her chicken.

Fortunately, Henry, Regina's father, has been a breath of fresh air amongst the chaos and awkward tension all evening. Emma finds that she actually enjoys his company, and she had enjoyed the chat they had over an after dinner brandy in the parlor of the inn— she especially enjoyed the stories he shared about Regina as a cute but awkward young girl and pre-teen…she imagined that those stories would make for good blackmail some day, if needed.

She now finds herself in the inn's kitchen with Cora, Regina, and Sidney, baking cookies of all things. "It'll be great for your image," Sidney assures Cora as she sighs in frustration over the recipe she's having a hard time following.

"This is absurd," Cora says. "We are at an inn for a reason. Why are we doing the work?"

"Because, Madam Mayor, you wanted privacy and rented out the inn with the stipulation that aside from the owner being present for check-in and check-out, none of the staff would be needed during your stay."

"It was a rhetorical question, Sidney," Cora chides. "But anyway, lets take some damn photos and videos and get on with it, shall we?"

"One big happy family," Regina whispers under her breath.

"I heard that, Regina," Cora says. "Keep your comments to yourself."

"Okay, act natural," Sidney says. "I'll take a bunch of photos and we can pick a few good ones later tonight to post."

As they carry on with their menial task, Emma can't help but think Cora looks like the Cheshire cat.

"Mother," Regina says, breaking through their silent dough-making. "You need to chill. You're creeping me out with that plastered smile. We've put too much time and energy into this for you to be the one to blow our cover."

"Regina is right, Cora," Sidney adds. "You need to look happy for Regina, but not like a kid on Christmas morning. It's unnerving."

"Just take the pictures, Sidney," Cora admonishes, but to everyone's relief, she does dial it down just a notch.

_This is going to be a long weekend_, Emma thinks as she forms another ball of dough into a misshapen cookie, _a very long weekend._


	14. Chapter 14: Regina (Day 54)

**A/N: **Sorry for the delay! I'm finally getting a little bit better, but I've had to take it easy, so this is a bit on the shorter side this week. I hope everyone had a great holiday and a happy new year! ICYMI, I posted a 10k+ one shot for Christmas ("I'll Be Home for Christmas"), so you can check that out if you feel so inclined.

* * *

**14\. Regina: Day 54**

The phone ringing behind her on the kitchen table startles her. She frowns as she walks over and sees Neal's name and photo staring up at her. "Hello?" She says as she picks it up.

"Regina? Is that you?" Neal asks.

She rolls her eyes. "Of course it is. Who else would it be? Why, do you think Emma's out having a scandalous secret affair?"

He ignores her sarcastic comment. "Why do you have Emma's phone?"

"She left it out here last night. I saw that your name on the ID and figured it might be important."

"Oh, well it is…We have a slight problem," Neal says.

"What's up, Neal?" she yawns as she starts to boil some water for coffee.

"Is Emma with you?"

"She's asleep. I can go wake her up."

"Please do, and put me on speaker phone."

"Fine. Hang on," she says, heading toward her spare bedroom where the other woman had spent the night.

She returns a few minutes later with a grumbling, exhausted blonde trailing behind her.

"Okay, we're both here. What's going on?" Regina asks.

It's then that Neal launches into the reason for his call — an outpouring of suspicions appearing on both gossip blogs and political blogs about their relationship. "A few have claimed that it was all for show because of the campaign event you went to last week, like some elaborate ploy to win support for your mother's campaign."

"Well, they would be correct," Regina points out as she hands Emma a cup of coffee.

"Did you really not think at least some people would see through this, Neal?" Emma asks, gratefully taking a sip of the caffeine. "People aren't idiots, and people talk online. This was bound to happen."

"We knew it could happen and likely would, yes, but the theory has picked up much more traction than we expected... Autostraddle weighed in this morning flat out calling it a farce. Listen to this," he says, clearing his throat as he prepares to read: " 'What better way to boost your campaign numbers after insulting the LGBT community than by welcoming your newly gay daughter's girlfriend with open arms? I smell a "PRomance." Regina has never given any indication that she was anything other than straight. She's never pinged for me, and I have a sixth sense for spotting closeted celebrity lesbians. And in the few days since their campaign fundraiser appearance, Cora Mills' poll numbers are going up, so it's working like a charm. We just can't believe Emma Swan, who has always appeared to us as being honest and reputable, would go along with such a plan. If our theory is right, and all evidence suggests it is, then that's very disappointing.' "

"Well, shit. What do we do?" Regina asks nervously. "She's pretty much spot-on."

"Don't give it any attention. Say nothing," Neal's voice comes through Emma's iPhone speaker. "If you try to deny it, it will make it worse. We knew this was a risk, so just carry on as planned. But, make sure you post some cute and casually loving photos today to make it seem like you haven't even heard the rumors, or if you have, you're completely unaffected by it. And, it may be worth moving up the U-Haul date to this week."

"Seriously?" Emma asks, looking over at Regina, who shifts uncomfortably as she leans over the counter and stares at the phone.

"Yes. That should help assuage the nay-sayers, because moving in together would be an awfully big stunt if this were all for PR. It's a bit much," Neal adds.

"You don't say," Regina says, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"Does that work for you?" Emma asks her 'girlfriend.'

She shrugs. "I guess. My lease is up in two weeks and even though my landlord gave me more time to make a decision, I haven't found a good roommate yet, and I've been too busy to look for a new place I can afford on my own…"

"Well, I own my condo, and I have plenty of space, so you're welcome to crash there for the next few months while you figure it out and before our big scheduled 'break up'," Emma offers.

"Great! Then it's settled," Neal's voice cuts through. "Regina will move in with you this week." At his declaration, Emma looks to Regina, who still hasn't officially given an answer.

She grins uncomfortably, but nods. "That can work. Thanks."

"Good, good," Neal says. "So, don't move in today, because that will look too much like a knee-jerk reaction. But, go furniture shopping today, sooner rather than later. The article as only published a half hour ago, so if you're seen out and about and posting Instastories this morning, it'll seem like that was always the plan and not like a strategic move. Create some speculation about why you're shopping, and then move can happen later this week."

"Goodbye, Neal," Emma rolls her eyes and hangs up on him. "So, it looks like we're going shopping."

"I guess so."

***.*.***

"Hey, roomie," Emma greets her with a laugh later that week.

Regina tries not to smile, but fails. "Thanks again for letting me crash here until I find a new place. Jefferson said he isn't planning on coming back to LA after his Broadway show contract is up because he's officially in love with New York, so subletting out his room temporarily and renewing my lease wasn't feasible. The PR ploy aside, I really appreciate you offering up your extra room."

"No worries," Emma shrugs as grabs a set of keys out of the bowl in the entry way. "Here, these are for you."

"Thanks," Regina says. "I just have a few more boxes to grab from the car, and then that'll be it."

"Did you have any trouble selling your furniture?"

"No. The person moving into my place was moving from New York, so she needed furniture. She gave me a couple hundred bucks to leave it all, so that made things easier," Regina replies. She's grateful that Emma's place is already fully furnished, which makes her move so much easier.

"Nice," Emma says. "Want help with the boxes?"

"That would be great, thanks," she says, gesturing for Emma to follow her out to the driveway, and trying not to notice how great the blonde's arms look when she picks up one of the heavier boxes out of the hatchback of her car. She makes it look effortless.

"Did you see the Autostraddle follow-up article this morning?" Emma asks as they walk back into the house.

"Oh, you mean the one where they posted the photo of us at West Elm picking out beds? Indeed I did."

"I have to give credit to Neal and Gold's photographer contacts for being available at the spur of a moment. They call and the photographers come running."

"I wonder what Gold pays them," Regina ponders as she sets the last box down in her bedroom.

"I have no idea. Probably a lot," Emma says. "So, should we Instagram some of this? My new mattress was delivered this morning from the company that asked me to partner with them, so I need to make my post about it. Want to be part of it? Two birds, one stone."

She nods and follows Emma to her master bedroom, where the new Mattress King mattress in a box is ready to be set up. Emma sets up her camera on her dresser, and together they unbox the mattress, letting it unfurl and set itself up on Emma's new king bed that they were seen buying earlier in the week. As soon as the bed is made, she directs Regina to lay under a blanket like she's taking a nap, while Emma photobombs her with a selfie. She posts the timelapse unboxing video and the photo to Instagram, with the caption: _"Thanks #MattressKing for our new mattress! It's like a cloud! #sponsored #ad." _

"Okay, that's done," Emma comments as Regina pulls herself out from under the blanket. "Easiest $8,000 I ever made and a free mattress."

"That mattress really is comfortable," Regina says.

"You're welcome anytime," Emma laughs, nudging her with her shoulder. "Want to order some takeout for dinner? I don't feel like cooking."

"That sounds great," she says, following Emma back toward the main living area and wondering how this new development in their 'relationship' will turn out.


	15. Chapter 15: Emma (Day 65)

**A/N: **I apologize for the delay, but I'm finally starting to catch up on everything from when I was super sick. I should hopefully be back on schedule now. Enjoy :)

* * *

**15\. Emma: Day 65**

"This is so weird, Ruby," Emma comments as she takes a swig from the water bottle her exhibition-issued PA gave her. "I'm so not cut out for this."

"You're fine, Emma," Ruby reassures her, munching on something crunchy that Emma can hear through the phone speaker. "The fans love you."

"I know, but this is just so strange. All these people milling about for a few seconds of a glimpse of someone they idolize. It's such a different world than what I'm used to."

She's in a random small ballroom behind the larger grand ballroom, which is currently housing thousands of fans who are listening to some random actor talk about some random role he was in. Emma knows he's a big deal, but she honestly hasn't been paying any attention to the rest of the guests, as she's just trying to make it out alive.

Neal and his father had arranged for her to appear at the Fan Expo Convention in San Diego, a multi-fan convention bringing together figures from across the entertainment and sports industries. She had been scheduled to sign autographs, take photos with fans, and appear in a 30 minute panel to answer fan questions. She had survived the panel, relieved that most of the questions centered around her soccer playing career and what her plans are now that she's retired from the sport. While a few questions about her relationship with Regina popped up, nothing was overly intrusive or nerve-wracking, which made her feel a little more at ease. It seems their co-habitation stunt the week before had been successful, and no one had said anything more about the possibility of their relationship being all for show to help Cora's campaign.

But, they know they still need to be vigilant.

"Have you seen Regina yet?" Ruby asks her, bringing Emma out of her daze.

"What? Oh, no. Not yet," she answers. "But soon, I hope."

She can't tell Ruby what she's really thinking, because Ruby can't know the truth about their relationship. But if she could, she would tell her that she finds it odd that Gold and Neal went to such great lengths to get Regina booked at the same convention Emma had been scheduled to attend, yet her schedule is so tightly packed that she doesn't have time to go find her "girlfriend". But, she supposes, maybe this is more for exposure. After all, they are both hoping to get a career boost from this whole thing, so maybe not everything has to be selling themselves as a couple. Individual promotion is good, too, Emma reasons.

"Well, I have to head to a workout," Ruby says. "Have fun, and let me know how the rest of the day goes!"

"I will. Thanks, Rubes," Emma says, hanging up with a sigh.

"Emma? Your autograph session starts in 10," a random staff member tells her.

"Got it," she says, pushing herself off the couch and bracing herself for whatever comes next.

***.*.***

Emma smiles at the preteen girl in a Team USA jersey across the table as she slides the autographed photo back to her. "I hope I can be as half as good as you one day," the girl says as she picks up the photograph as though it's precious porcelain that may break.

"Just keep at it and you will be," Emma says, hoping that she sounds motivating. She's not used to this. Normally if she meets someone who has followed her career, it's a quick "hello" and then another six months before anyone really recognizes her when she's out and about. But today, it's person after person of artificial pleasantries and she's not sure likes having to feel "on" nonstop. She knows she should be grateful for the opportunity to be in this position, and she is. It's just really, really strange and will take some getting used to.

She stiffens in her seat when she feels someone grab her from behind, hands covering her eyes. "Guess who?" is the husky whisper in her ear, and she immediately sighs in relief.

"Hey, babe!" Emma says, immediately slipping into character, knowing that there's a line of people watching her — well, watching them.

"Take five," Regina says to the assigned staff PA who is sitting next to Emma at the table and helping organize the line of incoming autograph materials. "I've got it from here."

The staff woman looks to Emma for confirmation, and the blonde nods her consent. "Take a break, Tilly," Emma says, watching as the young woman vacates the seat and Regina slides effortlessly into it.

She doesn't even have time to process it as Regina quickly bends forward to quickly place a chaste kiss on Emma's lips. "Hey," she smiles as she sits back in the chair she stole from an unsuspecting convention staffer.

"Hey," Emma says again in response, then turning her attention back to her queue when she hears the clearing of a throat from the annoyed parent waiting at the front of the line for her to sign her kid's jersey. "Right," she says. "Next, please."

"Check this one out," Regina whispers a few minutes later as she slides the next picture toward Emma to be signed.

"Whoa," Emma says quietly, looking at the photograph, and then back up to the teen in front of her.

"I'm a huge fan of you, and you," she adds, turning to Regina before looking back at Emma. "You're my favorite couple," she squeaks out, barely containing her excitement. "I can't believe you're both here. Well, I mean, I knew you were both going to be here, but I can't believe you're here together. At the same table. Oh my God."

"Thank you for your support," Emma says, not really sure what else to say as she turns her attention to the photo and picks up her Sharpie to sign it. The girl had printed out the selfie Emma had posted on her Instagram the week before promoting the mattress — the one of Regina pretending to be asleep and Emma posed behind her. It's the first couple photo she's been asked to sign all day. "Do you, uh, want Regina to sign it, too?" Emma asks, looking over at Regina for permission.

"Oh my God, really?" The girl asks. "That would be amazing. I was going to ask, but I didn't know if that was allowed."

"Oh, sure," Regina says with a smile, taking the Sharpie from Emma and quickly signing her name and a little heart. "Here you go!"

"Thank you so, so much," the girl says, clearly giddy, before being ushered out of the line by a convention staff member to keep things moving.

"This is surreal," Emma says under her breath, receiving a calming pat on her knee under the table from Regina in return.

***.*.***

"Are you done for the day?" Emma asks Regina as they walk through the back hallways reserved for the convention talent and make their way toward the photo op room later that day.

"Yeah," Regina says. "I was only a fill-in for someone who canceled, so I just had a 30 minute photo op and an hour of autograph signings. But I knew your schedule was jam-packed, so I didn't want to get in your way earlier or distract you."

"Well, I'm glad you came by," Emma says, taking another sip of water. Her throat is scratchy from talking so much with so little rest. "It's been crazy but also kind of boring without anyone I know around to talk to… how were your sessions?"

Regina shrugs. "They were fine. Since I was a last-minute add-on there weren't really that many people there for me, aside from the random out of work child and teen actors that Gold hired to come stand in my line to make it look like I drew a crowd."

"Wait, seriously?"

"Yep. He may be a giant tool, but the man knows what he's doing when it comes to this stuff."

"Wow."

"Out of everyone there, probably only 30 were actually fans of my previous work. The rest were his plants. Oh, and about 100 of your fans came by though. I guess they bought tickets for my auto session when they found out I was on the roster. So, I should thank you for the extra cash those sales brought in for me."

Emma rolls her eyes. "Anytime."

"Alright," they're greeted by the photography manager when they arrive at the room. "Emma, you have 45 minutes to get through all the photo ops. The photographer will give you more information about what you should and shouldn't do during the session, where to stand, and all that jazz as soon as he's done with the current talent's session. Do you have any questions for me?"

"No, not really," Emma says, noticing that the woman isn't even paying attention to her, and a volunteer quickly ushers them to a small, private room off to the side to wait for Emma's session to start.

"Do you want to stick around during my session?" Emma asks Regina when they're left alone.

She shakes her head. "I don't want to cause any distractions with your fans, and I'm starving, so I'm going to go find something quick to eat. But I'll come back down and meet you here after?"

"Okay, sounds good," Emma says, leaning in to kiss Regina's cheek without even thinking, even though they're completely alone and no one can see them, before the brunette departs. It's becoming a natural reflex, it seems.

***.*.***

Emma notices the clock on the wall indicates that there are only a few minutes left of her photo op session, but there's still a handful of people waiting patiently in line. She finds that she has a bit more time to have some semblance of a conversation with the convention-goers during the photos than she did at the quick pace of the autograph table, so she is enjoying this a bit more than the earlier portions of her day. Most of the guests have been aspiring soccer players, but she's been surprised at the number of young adults who seemingly have little interest in the sport, but are much more interested in her relationship with Regina. She files that note away in the back of her head, sure that Neal, Gold, and even Cora will be thrilled by that piece of news.

She smiles at the camera as the flash goes off, and the current fan is ushered away by a volunteer while the next one is brought up to her. The process continues until the line finally dies down. She finishes the last photo — a group photo with five college-aged women — and lets out a breath.

"Got time for one more?" she hears and smiles as Regina walks back into the room.

"Always," she says, extending her hand toward the woman as she approaches, which Regina gladly accepts. Emma notices out of the corner of her eye that the small group of fans are still congregated near the door, waiting for their photos to print and are openly staring at the couple. Emma tries to ignore them, to let them think that they're witnessing some sweet, private moment between two newly in-love women, rather than something that's the result of two brilliant PR masterminds' scheduling and strategy prowess. She notices a few of them are trying to subtly take out their cell phones to take photos or film, and she hopes that the room coordinator doesn't notice. This will be great publicity for them if fans capture some moments. Neal had already texted his approval of Regina's impromptu autograph moment. He'd eat this up with a spoon.

"Ready?" the photographer asks, a hint of irritation present in his voice. Emma had been the last scheduled photo session for the day, so he likely just wants to get out of there.

"Absolutely," Regina says, pulling Emma into her and posing.

They take a few photos of varying levels of seriousness, the last of which Regina lightly grabs Emma's chin so she can kiss her. It catches Emma off-guard, but she rolls with it, laughing as they finish up and move to the side of the room as the photographer sends their pictures to the printer and starts dismantling his equipment.

"We're still being watched," Regina whispers to her as she takes a sip of her take-out drink.

"I know," Emma nods. "I'm surprised they haven't been kicked out yet."

Regina shrugs. "It's the end of the day. People probably don't care anymore, but maybe we should sneak out the back so they can't follow us."

"Good plan," Emma answers as she picks up the first photo that printed. It's actually quite cute. They haven't had many 'official' photos together yet, but she has to admit that they look great together.

***.*.***

"So, that was surprisingly fun," Regina comments as they drive back home after the convention.

"It was. It was a little weird at first, but I had a good time. It was cool to meet everyone, and I'm glad you showed up. That definitely made it more enjoyable," she smiles, catching Regina's eye for a second before the brunette focuses back on the road in front of them.

"Glad to hear it," she chuckles. "Do you want to make a detour and go get dinner before we head home? Or do you want to just get Postmates later?"

"Didn't you just eat?"

"I had something quick and small to hold me over. I figured you'd be hungry after you were done with everything, so I wanted to wait."

"Oh," Emma says, thinking that was sweet of Regina to do. "I could go for some dinner now, if you want to stop somewhere. Anything specific in mind?"

"I was thinking we could try that new Italian bistro Ruby mentioned last week."

"Oh, Marco's?" Emma confirms.

"Yeah. Does that work for you?"

"Sure," she says, suddenly a little nervous. Ruby had mentioned it and said it was amazing, but she also said it had been a very romantic setting. Ruby had taken Aurora there for their three-month anniversary. Ruby had also mentioned that it was very private inside, so it wasn't a place to go to be seen on a date, so Emma's a little flustered by Regina's selection.

"Perfect," Regina says as she turns on her signal and changes lanes, heading toward their new destination.


	16. Chapter 16: Regina (Day 93)

**A/N:** So apparently I'm on a biweekly schedule for these updates now, given all that I have going on. I think there will be about 4-5 more chapters after this, so this story will wrap up within the next month or so. Enjoy this next installment!

* * *

**16\. Regina: Day 93**

"Jefferson, you were amazing," Regina gushes as she pulls the man in for a bear hug, wrapping her legs around his waist as he picks her up. Seeing him again for the first time in more than four months makes her realize just how her much she misses her best friend.

"Thank you, Gina," Jefferson chuckles as he twirls her around before setting her feet back on the floor.

"Gina?" Emma asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Only he can call me that. Don't you dare think about it," she warns.

"Duly noted." Emma throws her hands up in mock surrender.

"You must be Emma," Jefferson says with a smile, extending his hand out to the blonde.

"Oh, sorry," Regina says. "Jefferson, this is Emma. Emma, this is Jefferson."

"You really were wonderful. The whole show was incredible," Emma comments as she shakes his hand. Regina watches as they silently size each other up — her best friend of a decade and fake girlfriend of a few months slash actual new friend.

Well, they're more than friends, but Regina hasn't been able to put a label on it. The past month has been a whirlwind, and they have found themselves settling into a routine now that they're living together that often includes cuddling together on the couch for a movie. While that semi-nightly trend had started so they could take selfies to post on social media, now that their relationship is very public, they don't have to try as hard to prove that they're a couple – only a few casual photos now and then are needed to show that they are still happily together. The self-made photo ops have become less and less frequent, but their cozy behavior hasn't changed in the absence of a constant camera presence. Last night on their way to the hotel from the airport, Emma had fallen asleep on Regina's shoulder in the backseat of their cab, and Regina couldn't help but feel a growing fondness for the woman. They had spent most of the day today before the Jefferson's show traipsing around the city as part of their planned "casual couple's getaway," as Gold had called it, and she had been having a great time exploring New York with Emma.

Regina tries not to think about how much she enjoys whatever it is she has going on with Emma. It's surprisingly easy and low pressure, and it works for her. The blonde makes for good company.

***.*.***

"Come on, one more," Regina says to her friends as she slides a fifty dollar bill to the bartender. "Keep the change," she tells him as he pours three more shots of whiskey, which she promptly distributes to Jefferson and Emma.

"Trying to get me drunk?" Emma teases as she raises her glass to clink with the others.

Regina says nothing but she winks, tossing back the shot in unison with the duo. "Come on, let's dance," she says, grabbing each of their hands and dragging them out to the center of the floor where the rest of Jefferson's cast is already out celebrating. His director had reserved the back room of an exclusive club in SoHo for the cast members to have an after party to celebrate the first weekend of their new Broadway musical, which has thus far received rave reviews.

Emma quickly disappears, loudly whispering "I'll be right back," before going off in search of a few bottles of water. Regina misses her presence immediately, but quickly settles into Jefferson's embrace, reminiscent of their awkward college dance parties.

"It's starting to look a little too real, Regina," he whispers in her ear, making her jump at the unexpected comment. "I know you, and I'm not buying that this is all an act. Is there something you're not telling me?"

Regina turns around to look at him with a shake of her head. He knows the truth, as he had been the one to convince her to do it. "There's nothing to tell. Everything is going along as it should be," she says, temporarily sobering up. "But need I remind you, there's an NDA. You can't be talking about this…especially not here."

"Fine, sorry. I'll play along," he says, rolling his eyes.

"Thank you."

"It shouldn't be too hard. You two are _very_ convincing," he says, smirking.

"Of course we are. I'm a great actress," she smirks right back, but it turns into a genuine smile when she feels a hand wrap around her back and the soft lips brush her cheek.

"Miss me?" Emma asks with a dopey grin.

"Always," Regina says, staring right at Jefferson as she does so, silently challenging him.

"Well, I'll leave you to it. I'm going to go grab a beer. See you in a bit," he says, nodding subtly toward the pair as he leaves the dance floor. Regina turns around in Emma's grasp, drapes her arms around the blonde's shoulders and gives her a quick kiss, aware that they do have a few sets of eyes on them. Even though it's a private section for just the cast and their friends, the women are still a topic of conversation, given their growing prominence in the public eye, and all the cast members think they're an item. They have to keep up appearances.

***.*.***

"Get a room," Jefferson comments loudly as he walks by later in the night, casually hip bumping Regina as he passes by, startling the woman who had been otherwise occupied and oblivious in the middle of the dance floor. Regina removes her tongue from Emma's mouth long enough to tell him to fuck off and give him the finger.

"Do you want to get out of here?" Regina asks Emma, realizing that they had indeed just been making out and grinding in the middle of a club. She imagines that Gold will be very happy when photos inevitably are posted online in the wee hours of the morning, but if she's honest with herself, that thought hadn't been what led to her actions. They had been dancing and one thing led to another, and she had just done what came naturally to her. She's sure there are things she needs to unpack there, but decides 1:30am after a lot of drinks isn't the time to play self-therapist.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," Emma agrees, looking a little flushed herself.

Regina can't resist and tugs on the blonde's hand, pulling her toward her and kissing her again. It's not long, but it's just as heated. When they separate, she leads Emma back out toward the entrance to the VIP room, and then out through the bar. She notices that a few people do double takes as the women walk by hand in hand, but she's glad they're not stopped by anyone asking for a selfie. As the doorman flags down a cab, Regina pulls Emma in for another kiss.

"Regina…" Emma says, though it's more of a groan.

"What?" she answers innocently. "You never know when the paparazzi may be lurking nearby. Gotta give them a show," she says, thanking the doorman and handing him a small tip as she slides into the cab. She gives the driver the address of their hotel, and as soon as the car is in motion she slides back toward Emma and crosses her legs, draping her top leg over Emma's as she leans up and kisses her cheek. Emma instinctively turns her head toward Regina, pulling the brunette even closer. Regina moans as she shifts more toward the blonde, silently cursing the minimal room they have in the back of the cab, as the front seats seem to be set back for abnormally tall people, resulting in very little leg room for them.

It doesn't seem to matter, as they're pulling up in front of their hotel shortly. Regina pays the cab driver as Emma opens the door and helps her out, thanking the bellman who opens the door to the hotel lobby. "Do you want to get a drink?" Emma asks her as they walk in, passing by the jazz lounge that's just off the side of the lobby.

Regina stops and looks at her incredulously. "Not even a little bit," she says, taking a few steps backward, and pulling Emma toward the elevator. She smiles at an older couple who exit the elevator on the ground floor before stepping inside. As soon as the doors close, she turns around and corners Emma against the back wall, picking up from where they left off on the dance floor and in the cab.

"Regina," Emma says, her voice scratchy as Regina's lips trail down the side of her throat. "There's no one watching us here. We don't have to pretend."

Regina doesn't stop what she's doing, as she replies, "so? Who's pretending?" reversing course and following her path back up the column of Emma's neck, under her chin and behind her ear. It occurs to her that they've never done _this_ before. They've made out, a lot, in public places or at private events, but it's never moved below the chin, never anything more than the standard makeout session for PR purposes. Nothing that could possibly lead to something more. It had always been deliberate and well-calculated. This, she realizes, is new. "Are you complaining? Do you want me to stop?"

"God no," Emma squeaks out, just as Regina gently nibbles on her earlobe, finding a sensitive spot.

They both sigh as the elevator chimes and the doors open on their floor, though Regina isn't sure whether it's in relief or frustration.

Their room is only two doors down from the elevator, and Emma has somehow managed to already have her keycard in her hand. She opens the door and gestures for Regina to walk through first, and that's when Regina makes up her mind.

She doesn't want this to stop.

The door has barely latched behind the blonde when Regina pushes Emma against the door, her hands resting on the blonde's hips and her thumbs gently grazing under her shirt. She kisses her again, this time more fiercely and more in control than she had all evening, knowing exactly what she wants and taking control. She presses into her until their bodies are flush, shifting slightly so that she is, in essence, straddling Emma's right leg as her own right leg falls between Emma's thighs. She pulls back from the kiss just enough to move toward Emma's ear, as she had made note of how the blonde had responded to that action in the elevator just minutes earlier. She repeats the motion, biting slightly harder but then soothing it with a flick of her tongue. She smiles as she feels Emma's breath quicken against her, and it's then that she simply whispers, "fuck me."

"Regina…" Emma growls in an attempted protest, no doubt trying to sober herself up. "You're drunk. And straight. This is a bad idea."

"You're probably right on all three accounts, but tonight, I want this. I want you," she says, letting her hands trail around to Emma's back and down the swell of her backside.

Emma pulls herself away long enough to look Regina in the eye, assessing her and looking for any sign of hesitation. "Are you absolutely sure?"

She smirks as she walks backward toward the bed, sliding off her jacket as she goes, and removing her black thong from underneath her dress, tossing it in Emma's direction. "What do you think?"

"Fuck," is all Emma can say, quickly launching herself off the door and toppling on top of Regina as they fall onto the bed.

There's no going back now.

***.*.***

"Oh God," Regina groans as the light from the sun wakes her up and winces when she sees the time on the clock on the nightstand: 11:30am. Her head is pounding and her mouth is dry. As she sits up in bed, she notices her distinct lack of clothing and the memories rush back to her all at once. "Oh my God," she says, completely mortified by her behavior. How could she have literally thrown herself (and her underwear, she cringes as she remembers) at Emma last night? She's humiliated, and more importantly worried that she's ruined what had otherwise been turning into a good friendship.

She looks over to her side and finds the bed is empty. "Emma?" she asks self-consciously, pulling the bedsheets back up around her chest to cover herself up. "Em?" she tries again when there's no response, grabbing a robe from the end of the bed and poking her head into the bathroom. It's empty — completely empty — it's not just devoid of a human, but she notices that Emma's toiletry case is not on the counter where it should be. "Shit," she says, running one hand through her hair and another down her face, the fluorescent light of the bathroom not helping her hangover. She goes back out into the main room, noticing that Emma's suitcase is gone. "Fuck. Seriously?"

Her embarrassment turns to anger. _Where the hell is she?_ _Did she seriously just leave?_ Her thoughts quickly spiral downward after that, suddenly worrying that this was all some master plan Emma had to get the straight girl into bed as some sort of bizarre conquest. But, she also remembers that Emma wasn't the one who had instigated anything last night, and had even tried (albeit weakly) to protest it.

No, this is all on her, Regina admits. She's the one who initiated everything. But she's not the one who left to avoid the fallout, so her anger grows nonetheless, digging through her purse to find her phone. She sees a missed call from the other woman — but no voicemail — and a few text messages. _'On my way to Chicago for a few days. Got a last minute call early this morning. There's a huge convention for all their professional teams and their emcee cancelled. Neal got me the fill-in hosting gig but I have to be there by noon, so he booked me on a an early flight. Didn't want to wake you. There's aspirin on the nightstand. I'll call you tonight. We should talk.'_

She relaxes as she reads them, her anger dissipating back into embarrassment as well as a slew of other emotions. She's happy for Emma, because she knows this will be a great opportunity to build her experience in sports entertainment. She's also dreading the conversation she knows they need to have. She's mostly just grateful when she sees that there is indeed a small bottle of travel-sized aspiring on what had been Emma's nightstand waiting for her. She walks over and swallows a few down, quickly dialing the first contact in her phone.

"Jefferson, I fucked up," she says as she calls him, needing advice from her best friend.

"What did you do, Gina?" he asks.

"Emma."

"What about her?"

"No, Jefferson," she clarifies. "I did Emma."

"Of course you did, honey You're a mess. Meet me at my place for brunch."

* * *

**A/N: Well, that escalated quickly :) **


	17. Chapter 17: Emma (Day 96)

**A/N: **Glad to know you all enjoyed the cliffhanger in the last chapter ;) This one is on the shorter side today as we deal with the immediate aftermath of the events of chapter 16. The next update will be longer, but in the meantime, enjoy! And happy belated Valentine's Day :)

* * *

**17\. Emma: Day 96**

"Still no word from her?" Neal asks as he looks across at Emma. It's the final day of the sports convention, and they're sitting in the small room they've given her as a dressing room.

"No," she says, throwing her cell phone back into her bag. Emma has texted her and called her more times than she can count, but the brunette hasn't responded. It always rings once or twice and then goes to voicemail, which makes it pretty clear to Emma that Regina is literally ignoring her calls. "God, Neal, I never should have done that. I'm an idiot. She's going to hate me. I took advantage of her."

"No you didn't," he says, recognizing Emma's self-destructive tendencies when he sees it. She always tries to take the blame. "It sounds like she knew exactly what she was doing. And you even said that you had both stopped drinking hours beforehand. She's probably just freaking out and needs some time. She's not the first straight girl you've slept with. You just usually aren't there to see the aftermath because either they or you leave right away and then never see each other again. That's the great thing about one night stands. They don't get messy. This is messy as hell, but you'll work it out."

"Stop being so rational," she says, causing him to chuckle. "Seriously, though, what if I screwed this up?"

Neal sighs as he stands up to take the seat next to her on the sofa. "Maybe you did, but you'll get through it. Sometimes friends get drunk and do stupid things. It's not the end of the world, Emma. And it's not like you guys are that close, so in the long run, who cares? It's not like she's been your best friend for years and that's in jeopardy."

"You're right," she concedes. "But, we have become friends, good friends, and I don't want to lose that over some ill-advised sex."

"Wait," he says as he watches her closely. "Emma, please tell me you're not falling for her."

"What?" She scoffs. "Of course not."

"Emma," he says. "Come on, I know you."

"Fuck, Neal, what am I going to do?"

"Get over her," he says. "And do so quickly. It's not going to happen, and you guys still have another month to go in the contract. You've been doing so well and everything has been going according to plan. You can't let real feelings get in the way."

"Do you know how crazy that sounds?" she asks.

"I know," he admits. "But you're supposed to keep this strictly professional."

"Well, it's a little late for that," she says, taking a swig of her water.

He shrugs, realizing she's right. "Well, pretend like it never happened. But for now, you have an interview to do."

***.*.***

It's fifteen minutes into the interview before Emma gets the questions she had been hoping wouldn't be asked, but somehow knew would come up.

"So," the interviewer starts, "I must say, you and Regina Mills do make quite the adorable couple."

"Thanks," Emma says cautiously, but hoping she comes across as sincere. _Tread lightly, lady,_ she thinks. She's grateful that Neal not only got her this hosting gig for the sports convention, but that he also got her an interview with an online sports entertainment magazine. If it goes well, this weekend could be a huge step forward in her transition from retired soccer player to respected sports entertainment figure.

"You also seem to have quite the fan base rallying around you guys," the interviewer continues.

Emma shrugs nonchalantly, not sure how to respond to that. She quickly cuts her eyes over to Neal, who is standing in the corner. He nods subtly, but she's not sure how to interpret it. "Well, I know what it's like to not have a ton of couples to look to in the media. When I was growing up there weren't many out lesbians, so when I see the comments from fans about how we're 'couple goals' or whatever, I'm happy that maybe we're able to do something for visibility, but at the end of the day we're just ourselves and like everyone else."

"And Regina's mother has surged in the polls in the race for Senate," the woman adds.

Emma braces herself.

"Now, I have to ask," she says. "There was some speculation a few months ago that this relationship was just for show to do some damage control because of her mother's anti-LGBT comments. Neither you nor Regina ever responded to that accusation."

"No, we didn't," Emma interjects, visibly annoyed. "We saw no reason to given how ludicrous it is."

"So would you like to officially deny it?"

"That was months ago. I think it's pretty obvious that Regina and I are very happy with our relationship."

"That's not an answer," the interviewer points out.

"Look," Emma says, taking a deep breath. "Regina and I don't love the idea of addressing every ridiculous rumor that circulates about us in the media. It sets a bad precedent, so we'd rather not pay attention to any of it. And despite our jobs, and the fact that we know people are watching us because we are in a same-sex relationship, we're also not super comfortable having our relationship paraded around in the public and would rather focus our attention on each other than on every comment someone online makes."

"I see," the interviewer says, taking notes. "That's understandable," she admits.

"Thank you," Emma says.

"So," she continues. "Do you think Regina might be 'the one'?"

***.*.***

"Well done, Swan," Neal pats her on the back as thye exit the room and head back to the main ballroom of the convention, where she's due on stage in 10 minutes to moderate the closing panel.

She cuts her eyes over to him and sighs in annoyance. "Really?"

"Yeah. You handled yourself well, and you managed to answer her question and put her in her place while simultaneously not actually answering any of her questions or blatantly lying. That takes some mad skill, Emma."

She laughs as she opens the door to the ballroom. "Good to know," she says as she walks in, checking her phone as she feels it vibrate. She sees Regina's name on the notification, and her heart starts to race. "Oh God," she says out loud.

"What?" Neal asks, peeking over and seeing the name. "Oh. Read it."

Emma glares at him as she does just that: _'Sorry I haven't texted sooner. I've been super busy catching up with everyone. Zelena's fiancé is here from London and I haven't seen him in two years and my mother has our schedule tightly packed so I don't have time to talk. I'll see you this weekend when you come to Storybrooke for Christmas. I hope the convention is going well." _

"I'll see you afterward. Good luck!" Neal says as he leaves her to carry on with her preparation backstage.

She smiles, relieved that she hasn't totally destroyed her relationship with Regina, even though the message was a bit generic and impersonal for her liking. But, at least she's heard from her, so that's something. She heads immediately to the coffee station to quickly toss back a quick cup before she has to be on stage. It's been a great weekend, but she's exhausted. And, she misses Regina. She realizes that this is the longest they've been apart since their fake relationship started, and she really misses the other woman. The thought is startling to her, and she hopes that it's not too late to repair what she knows she messed up.

She takes out her phone to text Neal, asking him to help her out: _'hey – can you switch my flight tonight to go to Maine instead of LA? I need to talk to Regina in person.'_

The response is immediate: _'Are you sure that's a good idea?'_

_ '__Yes,'_ she types back furiously. _'I was going to fly out a few days before Xmas for the whole event. But I don't want to wait that long.'_

_'__Consider it done.'_


	18. Chapter 18: Regina (Day 97)

**18\. Regina: Day 97**

Regina is going to murder her mother. It's the only option.

She's spent the better part of the past three days plotting all the different ways she could do it. Crush up a few extra doses of Ativan to spike Cora's before-bedtime drink, just enough so that when she takes her night-time dose to knock her out, it packs an extra punch and does so permanently. But, her mother's palate is perfect — she can detect the moment a wine or brandy is a hair past its prime, so she would certainly notice the bitterness of the crushed pill powder, which means that method is out. She had thought about cutting the brake lines in her car, but she doesn't know enough about automotive engineering and would probably electrocute herself in the process, given that her mother jaunts around town in a Tesla, a car she purchased in cash just prior to the launch of her campaign to show her unwavering support for the environment. No, that wouldn't work either.

"What about a hitman?"

"What?" Regina jumps, startled by the sudden presence of another person in the room.

"Oh, please, don't tell me you aren't creating a list of all the ways we could do her in and make it look like an accident, or better yet, natural causes," Zelena says, popping a handful of caramel corn into her mouth that she had taken from the large tin on the counter.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I would never do such a thing," Regina smirks, grabbing a Christmas cookie for herself.

"Ladies, it's almost dinner," the voice of the antagonist in their developing plotline scolds as she walks into the room. "And besides, don't you think you've both had quite enough sweets the past few days to last you the entire season? We have family photos coming up and the last thing I want is for anyone to comment on how bloated my daughters are at the Christmas ball."

Zelena sends Regina a look before grabbing two more cookies, handing the brunette one before shoving the other into her own mouth. "Sowwwy mummy," she mumbles, crumbs spilling out from her lips.

"Good God you are both children. It's like you were raised by monkeys. I don't know where we went wrong with you," Cora admonishes before turning to leave the room as quickly as she entered it.

"So, a hitman?" Zelena raises her eyebrows.

Regina nods thoughtfully as she takes a bite of the cookie. "Do you know anyone who will do it cheaply and discretely?"

"No, but I'm guessing Mal's campaign would take care of it for free if it means Mal wins the Senate seat."

"Hmmm," Regina smiles as she finishes the last of her cookie. "Let's definitely keep that in mind."

***.*.***

"I'll get it," Regina says, pushing back her seat from the kitchen table.

"You will do no such thing. We are having dinner, Regina," Cora says, looking at her daughter.

"Mom, it could be important," Regina argues. "And, I'm done anyway," she says, pushing back her chair just as the doorbell rings again.

"It could be a deranged reporter looking to dig up dirt on us, Regina. Sit down. If it's important they would have called first."

Zelena rolls her eyes and adds her two cents. "That's why you've hired security, Mother. If the person made it to the front door, they're fine. It's probably more Christmas packages that need to be signed for. UPS hasn't been by yet today."

"Exactly," Regina says, sending a quick look of gratitude to her sister before hightailing it out of the room. As she walks down the hall, the doorbell rings yet again accompanied by an urgent knocking on the door she hadn't heard before. "Jesus, chill," Regina mumbles under her breath. She peeks through the peephole and her breath hitches.

"Emma?" She asks as she opens the door. The blonde is dressed in skinny jeans and the red leather jacket she's taken to wearing in LA now that 'winter' has hit. Regina had thought it was ridiculous that Emma brought it to New York for their trip last weekend, because it wasn't nearly warm enough for the frigid East Coast. But, Regina can't deny that she wears it well. _How is she even hotter than she was the last time I saw her?_ she thinks, quickly shaking herself out of that line of thinking.

"Hi," Emma responds, clearly nervous and visibly cold in the below-freezing Maine temperatures.

"What are you doing here?" Regina asks, stepping out onto the front porch and closing the door behind her to keep the cold out of the house.

"I got an earlier flight," she says, stating the obvious. "I know I wasn't supposed to come up until Saturday morning, but I didn't want to wait that long to talk to you."

Regina feels herself melt a little at that, but she quickly recovers. She's still internally freaking out after their drunken night the previous weekend, and mostly she's angry with herself. Not only is she embarrassed by how she behaved, but she's also confused. After the initial mortification wore off and after talking with Jefferson, she had started to realize that she may be developing actual feelings for Emma. But she knows that Emma hasn't been with anyone since their arrangement started, and she knows the blonde couldn't possibly be interested in her — over the past few months, she had learned all about Emma's exes, and the blonde had a type. Regina was not it. Emma was just scratching an itch, and Regina happened to be there as a willing participant. She couldn't face the rejection she knew would be coming, and she didn't want to make the situation any more complicated. They still had another month left of their contract to get through.

"Regina?" Emma asks, snapping Regina's attention back to the present.

"Huh? What?"

"I asked if it was okay that I'm here. I can get a room down at Granny's if you guys aren't ready for company yet…" Emma says awkwardly.

"Oh," Regina responds. "Right, no, come in," she says, opening the door and gesturing for the blonde to enter. "It would look odd if you didn't stay here, and we can't risk that, so…"

"Right," Emma nods. "Thanks," she says, kicking off her boots and letting Regina take her jacket to hang up in the hall closet.

"We have to act natural," Regina reminds her quietly. "My sister and her fiancé are here, and they don't know about this arrangement…"

"I know," Emma says. "But, we do still need to talk."

Regina feels her heart seize in her chest. She's not ready for that talk. "We will," she says, turning to walk down the hall, but before she can take more than two steps, a hand closes on her wrist and stops her.

"Regina, please talk to me," Emma says, pulling Regina back into the foyer. "Are you okay with what happened last weekend?"

"Yep. It's fine. I'm fine," Regina says in a clipped tone. She's really not in the mood to discuss it.

"Regina—"

"No. This is neither the time nor the place, Emma. You can't just show up on my parents' doorstep unannounced and demand this conversation."

"Fine," Emma sighs.

"Have you had dinner yet?" Regina asks. "We're just finishing up, but there will be some leftovers if you'd like."

"The flight had meal service, so I'm good. Thanks, though."

"Okay, well, follow me, then," Regina says, taking a deep breath before putting what she hopes is a convincing smile on her face as she walks down the hall.

"Wait a sec," Emma whispers as she rushes to catch up to her. When Regina looks back, confused as to what Emma could possibly want now, Emma reaches out for her hand and threads their fingers together.

The smile on Regina's face maybe just became a little more genuine.

***.*.***

Cora had been thrilled to see Emma when Regina had announced the special guest upon returning to the dining room. Her poll numbers have stagnated a bit in recent weeks as Mal began to catch up to her, so this display of a big happy family Christmas will be her next step to securing voter's support.

As Cora chatters away with Emma after dinner, Zelena eyes Regina suspiciously as they get started on the washing the dishes. "Why are you being weird?"

"What?" Regina asks, rinsing another plate. "What do you mean? I'm not being weird."

"Ever since Emma showed up, you're extra tense."

"Everything's fine, Zelena," Regina says, a little too quickly and a little too defensively.

"Right," Zelena says, not buying it. "Whenever someone says 'everything's fine', everything is _totally_ fine."

"The holidays are just stressful, Zelena. Especially with the campaign bullshit."

Zelena nods, but still looks at her sister skeptically. "You're sure that's it? It has nothing to do with Emma? No lover's spat?"

Regina sighs. "I'm sure, Zelena. I just don't love the idea of Mom commandeering Emma and grilling her about God knows what," she adds. It seems believable. In normal circumstances, she would be concerned about her mother cornering her significant other. It's a terrifying thought. But in this case, she's really worried about what Emma may say. Emma hasn't been trained to dodge Cora Mills' interrogation tactics. If her mother as much as suspects something is different between Emma and herself, her mother will be like a hound following a scent trail.

"Knowing Mummy dearest, she's probably trying to plan your wedding and convince Emma to propose for Christmas."

_If only,_ Regina thinks. _This is going to get so much worse._

***.*.***

"Regina, dear, may I see you in the kitchen for a moment?" Cora sweetly demands as they all get ready to watch a movie in the living room. "I could use some help with the snacks."

"Um, sure," she says, standing up from where she has been sitting next to Emma on the couch. Emma had said that her earlier conversation with Cora had been perfectly normal, but now Regina isn't quite so sure. It's never good when Cora Mills asks to speak to someone alone.

They're barely past the threshold when the firestorm begins. "I don't know what the hell is going on with you two, but you need to get your shit together, Regina," Cora scolds.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Regina lies. "Everything is fine."

"Oh please. It's glaringly obvious that something is going on. You've barely said two words to her since she got here. Are you two fighting? Because if you are, you need to get over yourselves and make it work, because you still have another five weeks of this, and we need these happy family photos for the campaign."

"No, we're not fighting, Mother," she says. _Quite the opposite, actually_.

"Well, whatever it is, you need to fix it. My brother, his new wife, and all their kids will be coming in for the ball on Saturday, and they need to believe you're together…as do the rest of my campaign staff. Right now you're not convincing anyone. I won't let you destroy the work we've put into this."

Regina rolls her eyes. "Thanks for the pep talk, and thanks for being so concerned about my well-being and putting me ahead of your own needs. You're a great mother," Regina sneers as she grabs the bowl of pretzels off the island and heads back into the living room, purposefully sitting herself on Emma's lap and giving the blonde an unnecessarily long kiss as soon as Cora comes back into the room. "So, can we watch the movie now?" Regina asks as she glares at her mother across the room.

"I think that's a great idea," Henry says, jumping up to grab the remote.

"You okay?" Emma whispers to Regina as the opening theme to _Home Alone_ plays on the television.

"Yep," Regina says, her eyes fixed on the screen. "Everything's fine."


	19. Chapter 19: Emma (Day 97 continued)

**A/N: **Sorry this is so late, guys! When you work at a medical school in the public health department during a pandemic, everything else gets put on hold. The last 3.5 weeks have been nuts as we prepped for the inevitable. I hope everyone is staying healthy.

* * *

**19\. Emma: Day 97 (continued)**

Emma doesn't know what to make of things. Regina has barely said three words to her since she rang the Mills' doorbell earlier that evening, and now as they have finished helping Zelena put away all the remnants of their movie snacks, the awkward silence continues.

"I'll show you upstairs," Regina says, pushing herself off from where she's been leaning against the counter and watching Emma toss out the unpopped popcorn kernels. "You'll be staying in my room," she mutters as they swing through the foyer so Emma can grab her suitcase.

"I figured as much," she comments. _God,_ she thinks_, this was all such a bad idea_. It's getting complicated and messy and she hates it — she hates when things get messy.

"Home sweet home," Regina rolls her eyes as she gestures for Emma to walk through the door. "After you."

Emma walks in as requested and sets her luggage down against the wall, looking around the room that she knows had once been Regina's childhood bedroom. The walls are a dark lilac, and upon closer inspection she can see the leftover marks from the tape that she imagines once held up posters of boy bands. "Regina…"

"Not tonight, Emma," she says, really meeting Emma's eyes for the first time all night. It's just for a moment, because she starts fidgeting with the sleeve of her sweater as though it's itchy on her skin. "It's been a really long day."

Emma decides to spare her. "I wasn't going to bring up _that_," she says, throwing her a bone. "I was just going to ask if you're okay with sharing the bed or if you'd rather I sleep on that couch over there," she says, gesturing to a small beige loveseat under the windows.

"Oh," the brunette sighs in relief. "Um, no, it's fine. You can sleep in the bed," she says, walking over and starting to pull back the covers. "Besides, my sister seems to suspect something is up and already has no sense of boundaries, so there's a very strong likelihood that she will barge in unannounced, so we can't take any chances."

"Okay," Emma says, not sure if she's relieved by Regina's answer or not. She chooses to take it as a good sign that she's not being kicked out of the bed. "I'm going to go brush my teeth…"

"The bathroom is right through there," Regina says, pointing to a door to her left. "It's a shared bathroom with Zelena's room, so make sure you lock the door on the other side, too. Like I said, she has no boundaries."

Emma chuckles. "Good to know."

When she returns a few minutes later, Regina is already under the covers, a book of poetry in her hands and tortoiseshell glasses resting gently on the bridge of her nose. Emma smiles despite herself at how cute the brunette looks. She says nothing as she makes her way toward the bed, shuffling under the covers and trying not to read too much into it when Regina subconsciously shifts over to give her more space.

"Goodnight," Emma says as she lays down and rolls onto her side, her back facing her bedmate.

"Goodnight, Emma," Regina says. "I'll be done reading in a few minutes and will turn off the light then.

"No hurry," she smiles over her shoulder before turning back to face the wall with the windows. Even with the soft light on in the room, she can still see the stars through the windows, and it makes her remember her own childhood growing up in Maine. They don't have skies like this in Los Angeles.

***.*.***

"Emma, where are we?" Regina asks, taking off her blindfold as Emma parks the car in the gravel lot.

She smiles as she opens her own door and looks over at the confused woman in the passenger seat. "Come on, get out and I'll show you."

The morning had been just as awkward as the night before, and Emma's sick of it. She had decided that it was time for them to talk once and for all, but that thought had also been terrifying to her. So, she had decided to take Regina to the one place she has always felt safe.

She doesn't look behind her to see if Regina is following, because she knows the stubborn woman will be. After all, she had agreed to go on a surprise field trip with Emma earlier that morning and had agreed to wear a blindfold, so there wasn't any way Regina wouldn't be seeing this through. So, Emma keeps walking through the open field to the picnic table, and she smiles when she sees it hasn't changed. The wood is more splintered than it used to be, but it's still there. Before she can sit down, she rushes over to the playground a few feet away, unable to resist the beckoning of the monkey bars. She doesn't need to jump to reach them anymore, just standing on the balls of her feet is enough for her fingertips to comfortable grasp the cool metal. The next thing she knows, muscle memory kicks in and she's flipping upside down and then pulling herself up until she's sitting on top of them.

"Emma Swan, what the hell are you doing?" she hears Regina's voice call from a dozen feet away. "You're going to hurt yourself."

"Relax, no I'm not," she says, kicking her legs as she rests on top of the bars.

"Well, then you're going to get covered with germs. God only knows how many kids have been on there with their unwashed hands."

She rolls her eyes. "It's the end of December, Regina…it's freezing. There haven't been any kids on here in at least a month," she points out, but she obliges and flips herself back down until she's safely on the ground.

"Yes, it is freezing," Regina says, walking up to meet her. "So, why are we at a playground in the middle of Maine in the middle of winter?"

"This is where I grew up," she says. "We're in Bangor."

"Oh," Regina says, looking around and the realization hitting her.

"Or, it's where I spent the last handful of years of my childhood, anyway."

"You said you lived here for all of high school, right?"

"Yeah," she says, leading Regina over to the picnic table and taking a seat. Regina surprises her by sitting next to her instead of across the table. "I moved in with Mary-Margaret and David — my last foster parents — in the middle of eighth grade. I lived with them until I turned 18."

"You said they moved away right after you graduated, right? So they're not still in Bangor?"

"They moved, yeah," Emma nods. "I have no idea where they live now, but it's just as well."

"I know you said you weren't close," Regina recalls from one of their earlier conversations.

"We weren't. They were pretty young – only like 30 when they took me in, so they weren't really ever like 'parents.' They were both pretty religious and had done missionary work, so I think taking me in was some kind of continuation of that. But, they gave me a place to live, so it was fine, and I was appreciative. After the Olympics they tracked me down and sent me a few letters, but at that point I didn't want to talk to them anyway," Emma says, clearing her throat. "But anyway, I didn't bring you here to talk about them."

"So why did you bring me here?"

"This was my favorite place as a teenager," Emma explains. "My friends and I used to sneak over here after the park closed for the day to drink a few beers or smoke cigarettes or pot or whatever someone was able to steal from one of their parents or older brothers. And over there," Emma says, pointing toward the huge grassy area, "is where I first learned to play soccer."

"Really?" Regina asks, seeming to be genuinely interested in Emma's story.

"Yep. After I figured out I had a natural talent for it in gym class, the assistant coach arranged some practice sessions here with the captain of the team to run drills so I could get up to speed."

"That was nice of her."

"Yeah," Emma sighs.

"What?" Regina asks, looking at Emma curiously.

"That captain was actually my first girlfriend. Lily."

"Oh, really?" Regina teases.

She rolls her eyes. "And actually," she starts, before sliding off the picnic bench and ducking her head under the table. "Yep, it's still there."

"What is?"

Emma motions for Regina to look under the table, and that's where she points out the faded white heart with the initals 'ES + LP' painted on the underside of the table top. "Emma Swan + Lily Page."

"Oh wow," Regina laughs, pushing herself back up onto the bench. "It must have been true love to immortalize it like that."

"It was," Emma says. "At least at the time."

"What happened with her?"

"My foster parents found out. They weren't too pleased," Emma admits. "They told me to end it or they would kick me out."

"Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Emma," Regina says sincerely.

"Yeah. So, I broke up with her. I couldn't risk getting sent back into the system. At that point I had potential college scholarships lined up for soccer, and I couldn't take the chance that something would interfere with that. College soccer was my only way out. But, it sucked. I really loved her."

"And you never got to see Lily again? Not even after you graduated?"

"No," Emma shakes her head. "She went to college in Florida, and then I found out a few years later she had fallen in with a bad crowd and died of an overdose."

"Shit," Regina says again. "God, Emma, I had no idea. I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that," she says, taking Emma's hand under the table.

Emma wipes a single tear away with her thumb. "Yeah, well, it's in the past."

"Still. I admire your resilience. I really mean that," she says, gently squeezing the hand in hers.

"Thanks," she says, meeting Regina's eyes. "What?" she asks when she notices a shift in Regina's expression.

The brunette shakes her head "Nothing."

"No, tell me," Emma says. But before she can say anything else, she feels Regina's lips against her own. It's not heated, but it's sweet and comforting. She realizes how much she's missed this, and that's exactly why she has to stop it. "Regina," she says, breaking the kiss and pushing her away just enough to give herself some space. "There's no one here to see us," she says, mostly to remind herself of the situation and that this isn't real.

"I know. I don't care," Regina says, cupping her jaw in her hand and leaning in again.

Emma gives in, lets herself be kissed and happily reciprocates when she feels Regina's tongue gliding against her own. It isn't until she feels Regina's hand sliding up her thigh that she pulls back yet again. "No, Regina, stop."

"What?"

"We need to talk about what happened in New York," Emma says, standing up from the bench and taking a few steps to put more physical distance between them.

"I don't want to talk about that."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't know what to say, Emma."

"Well, try me," Emma demands.

"I was drunk. I wasn't thinking straight," Regina starts.

"Yeah there's a lot about you that wasn't 'straight' that night."

Regina rolls her eyes. "I was caught up in the moment, and it had been awhile."

Emma sighs in frustration, but she had known that was likely the case. She had been deluding herself to think it may have been anything different. "If that was just scratching an itch, then okay," Emma says. "I'm more than happy to be of service. But in that case, what the hell was that kiss just now?"

"I don't know," Regina answers softly.

"I need to know what's going on, Regina. If you're confused, I get it. If you're just horny as hell and needed someone to get you off, I get it. Believe me. I've been there. But I need some sort of road map here. If this is all just you going full-on character-method for this 'role' we're playing, then that's fine, but I need you to tell me that. It's hard for me to discern what's fake and what may not be, especially when you do things like kiss me when there aren't any cameras or other people around. It's messing with my head."

Emma sees that Regina is about speak, but she quickly cuts her off. She realizes that she may have said too much, so she quickly back peddles. "That hasn't been part of this arrangement before, so if you're changing the approach on me midstream, let me know. I need to know what your angle is so I can make sure I match it. We need to be on the same page here."

Emma notices that Regina's face falls after her addendum, but she isn't sure what to make of it. "Fuck, Emma, I…"

"What?"

"Nevermind. We have to get back for my mom's stupid Christmas party," Regina says, turning around and walking back toward their rental car.

"Fine, but this conversation isn't over," Emma says, stomping after Regina.

Regina sighs as she waits for Emma to unlock the car door. "No, I imagine it's not."

***.*.***

"Can I have some of that?" Regina asks as she rejoins Emma at a highboy table set up in the middle of a city hall conference room, which the staffers have attempted to turn into a festive party room for the evening.

"Have at it," she says, handing over the gin and tonic she's been nursing.

"I can't believe they only have one bar set up. The line is insanely long."

"That, dear sis, is exactly why you bring your own," Zelena says as she and her fiancé barge into their conversation. "Vodka, anyone?" she says, producing a flask from her handbag.

"Sometimes, you're a godsend," Regina replies, giving Emma her drink back as she takes the stainless steel flask from her sister and takes a long sip directly from it.

"Put that away," Cora's voice scolds as she lurks behind them, causing all four of them to jump in surprise. "I cannot believe your brought a flask, Regina."

"It's not mine," she says reflexively, shoving it back toward Zelena.

The redhead rolls her eyes as she gladly takes it back, taking an exaggerated swig as she does so. "And I cannot believe you didn't supply more alcohol and more bartenders, Mummy," Zelena points out. "But alas, here we are. At least one of us was prepared for the party."

"Cora, there you are," Henry says as he joins them, stopping to quickly kiss each of his daughters on the cheek in greeting.

"Have you heard from George?" Cora asks her husband.

"Yes, he just called," Henry confirms. "Their plane was rerouted to Boston due to the snow, but he said he should be able to make it up tomorrow morning."

"Ugh. It's just like him to ruin things," Cora complains.

"Cora, he can't control the weather. It's fine. You can still get a photo op for Christmas. It doesn't need to be tonight," Henry reminds her.

"I'm lost," Emma whispers to Regina. "Who is George?"

"My mom's older brother," Regina answers. "He got remarried last year and he's bringing his new wife, her kids, and her new grandkids up to meet everyone. My mom thinks it will be a good photo opportunity, because the polls are showing that she doesn't seem like a 'warm' person."

"You don't say," Emma comments before she can think twice.

Regina just laughs. "She thinks using her brother's step-grandkids in a photo will give her the family-friendly charm to win over the last of the voters. It's not like Mal Draco is a ray of sunshine, but compared to my mother, she's basically Mother Teresa."

"Glad to see we're not the only ones she's using for her image," Emma mutters under her breath so only Regina can hear.

"She basically only sees the value in family if they can be used to get her ahead," Regina shrugs. "Nothing she does surprises me anymore."

"Regina, Emma," Cora says, drawing their attention back to the matriarch. "It would behoove you to go make small talk with people here instead of sulking at this table. Perhaps some sweet photos can come out of it," she says before walking away.

"Duty calls," Regina says, stepping back from the table and reaching for Emma's hand. "It's show time. Time to parade around like prized cattle."

***.*.***

"Alright, it's posted," Emma says as she closes out of Instagram and sets her phone down on the nightstand. They had Zelena take a photograph of them under the mistletoe at the Christmas party, and it's a sickeningly cute picture — perfect for their cause.

The rest of the night had gone relatively smoothly, as they had managed to put their earlier argument aside and play up their relationship for everyone in attendance, quickly falling back into the ease with which they've been playing the part for the past few months. They had also made sure to get in the background of photos taken by campaign staffers and other family members. That way, other people would post the pictures and it would seem far more natural and believable. They even intentionally staged an overly affectionate conversation in the background of a picture Zelena had been posing in with her fiancé, knowing that Zelena would post it all over social media, with Regina and Emma conveniently in the background in an embrace of their own.

"Can I turn out the light or are you going to read a bit first?" Emma asks, looking over at the brunette next to her."

"I'm too tired to read, so you can go ahead," she says.

Emma nods as she reaches over and shuts off the bedside lamp, settling down into the mattress. She's just about to drift off to sleep when she feels Regina move closer, rolling onto her side and tentatively inching toward her, gently reaching out and placing her hand on Emma's bicep.

"It's been a long day," Regina says softly, and although Emma can't see her in the dark, she can feel Regina's gaze staring at her. "Is this okay? I mean, I know this is probably sending you all kinds of mixed signals, and I don't want to make this hard for you, but I could use some cuddling," Regina says, and the vulnerability and insecurity in her voice breaks Emma's heart just a little bit. "This is me trying to communicate with you about my intentions," she adds, a hint of snark in her tone.

Emma rolls her eyes, but it's dark, so she knows Regina can't see it. "Come here," she says, opening her arms wider to give Regina the space to shuffle closer.

"Thank you," she says shyly, pressing her nose into Emma's neck.

Emma tries to ignore how well they fit together. She's just a friend helping out a friend.


	20. Chapter 20: Regina (Day 99)

**A/N: **Sorry for the delay in this - COVID19 is making it really hard to get any writing done with my work schedule in overdrive, but I'm trying to write whenever I have a chance for my own mental sanity and to be able to put stuff out there for people to read while they're social distancing. It's a super short chapter because it was either post a short one now, or wait until I get the rest of Day 98 done, which may not be for a few more weeks, depending on how things go at work and with the pandemic. I hope you and your friends and family are all staying safe and healthy!

* * *

**20\. Regina: Day 99**

Regina wakes up and realizes she's in a much different position than she fell asleep in the night before — she remembers cozying up to Emma in a moment of vulnerability, but now the blonde is pressed against her back, an arm draped across her waist. She knows that she can't put off the conversation she's been dreading much longer, but she tries to enjoy the feeling of Emma's steady breathing tickling the back of her neck, since she's not sure where they will stand after they have that much-needed talk.

She lays like that for a little while longer, gently playing with the stitching on the sleeve of Emma's flannel pajama top, enjoying the weight of the arm wrapped around her waist. She can feel Emma shifting slightly behind her, settling into the pillow and scooting a little closer. She's not sure if the blonde is awake or unconsciously repositioning herself, so Regina moves to interlace their fingers. When she feels Emma's fingers flex in hers and the grip of her arm tugging her closer, she knows the other woman isn't truly asleep. "Tell me what you're thinking?" Regina says softly, more of a question than a command.

"You smell good," Emma sleepily replies, burying her nose into the brunette's hair.

"It's the shampoo my mom leaves in the bathroom here. It's lavender scented."

"It's nice. I like your usual apple stuff, too, don't get me wrong, but this is relaxing," Emma says, her voice rough and dry from a long night's sleep.

Regina turns to look over her shoulder, surprised. "You know what my regular shampoo smells like?"

"Of course," Emma says, not bothering to open her eyes. "You're a little bit shorter than me, so I get a whiff of it every time we hug or pose for a photo."

Regina chuckles as she rolls back to her previous position on her side. "You didn't answer my question," she says quietly. "You just deflected."

"You asked what I was thinking about, and I told you: I'm thinking that your hair smells good."

Regina scoffs at the non-answer and starts to pick at that loose thread on the flannel sleeve with her free hand.

"And now I'm thinking that I'm hungry," Emma adds, just as her stomach growls. "I smell bacon."

"Your nose is working overtime this morning," Regina comments. She looks at the clock on the nightstand. "Breakfast won't be ready for another 20 minutes. My mother has a strict schedule for Christmas morning every year."

"I see," Emma says, making no effort to loosen her grip on Regina's waist. "I'm thinking…" Emma says at last. "That I'm really comfortable."

Regina chuckles under her breath. "Yeah, my mom always goes for the best mattresses."

"That's not want I meant," Emma says. "I meant this," she clarifies, tugging on Regina's waist just enough to pull her a millimeter closer.

Regina smiles despite herself, rolling over to fully face the blonde sharing her bed, only inches separating them. "Emma…" she starts, looking down briefly because the eye contact is too intense. "Yesterday, you said that this was messing with your head. What did you mean by that?"

Emma swallows audibly, fidgeting with the top of the bedsheet that's pulled up over their stomachs. "We slept together, Regina. That isn't in the contract. It is explicitly _not_ part of the contract. That kiss yesterday is definitely not part of it. This," she says, gesturing between them and their intimate positioning, "is not part of it."

"Are you uncomfortable with it? You can always say 'no'. I won't be offended," Regina says, pulling back to give Emma more space.

"No, it's not that at all," she says quickly. "Regina, I'm gay. Like, I'm a super hella gold star lesbian. And you're not. But, you're gorgeous, and you obviously must know that I find you attractive. I wouldn't have slept with you if I didn't. But, I'm not an actor and I'm new to this whole entertainment business thing, so this whole scenario is so bizarre to me. And it's hard for me to separate what's part of the contracted relationship and what, if anything, might not be. But, we've been spending so much time together that it's all getting muddled, and it's confusing to me. I'm trying not to let it affect me and to remember that you're an actress, but…"

"But…" Regina asks, trying not to get her hopes up.

"But, it's hard not to let it get to me, and it does mess with my head. It's confusing trying to sort it all out. Yesterday, at the park, it was just too much. That felt real."

"It was," Regina reassures her. "That wasn't part of an act, Emma."

"Regina, you're straight," Emma responds, pointing out the obvious.

"I thought so too, but, maybe I'm not totally…maybe I'm bisexual? I don't know. All I've know is that yesterday I really wanted to kiss you, and not for some stupid contractual obligation. And last weekend, well, you know what I wanted to do then."

"Right," Emma chuckles.

"Emma, do you…do you have feelings for me?" Regina asks hesitantly. She then clarifies, "Not just like the 'you think I'm hot and would want to fuck me after a drunken night out' feelings, but like actual feelings?"

"Honestly? I don't know. Like I said, it's confusing not only trying to work out what you're doing and thinking, but also trying to figure out what I feel. This isn't a situation I've been in before, so I don't know what to make of it. I don't even know what's real on my end and what's a side effect of the contract requirements."

Regina bites her lip in contemplation as she looks at the green eyes staring back at her. "Well then, maybe this will help?" she asks as she leans in, placing a soft kiss on pale lips and giving the other woman plenty of time to stop her. Instead, Emma reciprocates, deepening the kiss until Regina pulls back and raises a brow. "Did that help?" she smirks as she looks at the stunned blonde below her.

"I think so," Emma replies, a light blush tinting her cheeks.

"You think so?" she sasses, leaning back down toward her. "Would another test help?"

"Oh, it definitely would," Emma says, surprising Regina when she takes the lead. The next thing Regina knows, Emma's wrapping her arms around her neck and pulling her on top of her, letting their motions say more than words ever could. Regina moves to straddle Emma, sneaking her hands under Emma's pajama shirt across the smooth skin of her abdomen, working their way upward as she presses her hips down into Emma's.

"Regina, Emma, breakfast!" Henry's voice calls from down the hall.

"Damn it," Regina sighs, sitting up and looking down at an out of breath Emma.

"Later," Emma promises.


	21. Chapter 21: Emma (Day 99 continued)

**A/N: **I'm so sorry for the delay. Things are continuing to spiral into constant chaos. But, hopefully this is worth the wait!

* * *

**21\. Emma: Day 99**

Christmas day starts off rather uneventful, after they exit Regina's childhood bedroom to head down to breakfast. Although they had talked that morning — well, sort of talked — there's a little less awkward tension between the two women, but a new, different underlying tension in its place. Emma can't help but feel a flitter of butterflies in her stomach as she thinks about continuing what they had started that morning. She hopes Regina doesn't get scared and close herself off again, but the subtle glances the brunette sends her from across the kitchen as she pours a cup of coffee tells her things will be okay.

After breakfast, presents are unwrapped, but it's all for show. Cora has called in her personal campaign photographer for the morning to take pictures of the happy family, despite both Regina and Zelena insisting that it would be better to have candid, iPhone photos taken by the actual family members. At Cora's command, Emma and Regina pose for pictures with Cora, the older woman standing between the couple and lovingly embracing her newly lesbian daughter and her girlfriend, all to capture the votes of the young progressive voters who are still favoring her rival Mal Draco in the polls.

"Well, that was something," Emma comments to Regina when the token gifts are unwrapped — nothing of sentimental value or selected with much thought, but flashy, expensive gold and diamond jewelry and some donations made in their names to various causes voters will care about.

"It always is something with her," Regina confirms, resting her head on the blonde's shoulder as they lean against the back of the sofa. "God, I'm exhausted," she says, closing her eyes.

"Why don't you take a nap?"

"I can't. My mom's brother will be here soon with his family. If I take a nap now, my mother will just accuse me of being lazy."

"Ah, of course," Emma rolls her eyes. "So, am I allowed to go shower or will that interfere with the carefully crafted schedule?"

Regina chuckles, and Emma relaxes at the sound. She hasn't heard her genuinely laugh since their drunken night in New York that changed the dynamic between them. She's missed it. "No, go ahead," she says, pushing herself upright to give Emma the space to get up.

"I'll be back soon," she says, leaning in to give Regina a quick kiss before leaving the room, not even thinking twice about the gesture. It's become second nature during the course of their fake romance, and she's finally not afraid to admit that she enjoys it.

***.*.***

She stands under the cold spray of the water at the end of her shower — a habit she started years ago to give herself a jolt of energy — and can't help but think back to the weirdness of the morning. It's the first Christmas she's spent with anyone in years, so she should enjoy having the company around her and not watching _It's A Wonderful Life _by herself in her living room like she does every year. But, this was hardly a traditional family Christmas, and she can't help but wonder what it would have been like if she and Regina could have been back in her apartment in Los Angeles, just the two of them. As she attempts to quickly dry her hair, ultimately giving up and throwing it into a long braid, her mind once again drifts to what will happen now that they've both admitted to having some sort of feelings for one another. It's then that she also realizes that there isn't much time left in their PR stunt. What then?

She finds that she _really_ doesn't want to think about that. So, she doesn't. She pushes it out of her mind as she gets dressed and heads back into the family craziness.

"Oh, good, there you are," Cora says, catching Emma at the bottom of the stairs. "Come meet my brother and his new family. They just arrived a few minutes ago."

"Oh, okay," she replies, not as though she has much choice in the matter. She doesn't see Regina and doesn't have time to ask about her fake-girlfriend-slash-maybe-sort-of-actual-girlfriend's whereabouts. It occurs to her that they should probably add "defining our relationship" to the list of things to discuss, and she mentally makes a note of it.

"Emma, meet my brother George," Cora says, lightly pushing Emma into the living room.

"It's nice to meet you," Emma says with a smile she hopes is genuine.

"You as well, Emma. I've heard great things about you from my sister," he says with a forced grin. "This is my darling wife Ava," he says, pointed to the brunette on his left.

"It's lovely to meet you, Emma," she says, much more convincingly than her husband. "Ah, and there's my darling daughter and her husband," she says, her eyes looking behind Emma.

Emma follows Ava's eyes and looks over her shoulder, stunned. "David? Mary-Margaret?"

"Emma," Mary-Margaret sighs with a hopeful smile. "It's really you. I didn't believe it when George told me."

"What are you doing here?" Emma asks, taking a tentative step back, away from the woman who looks like she's about to rush toward her and engulf her in a hug that would not be welcomed.

"My mother married Cora's brother last month."

"Emma?" Regina asks, coming back into the room, concerned when she sees that the blonde has turned unnaturally pale. "Are you okay?"

"I…" Emma starts. "Excuse me," she says, turning to rush out of the room.

"Emma, wait up," Regina says, immediately following the woman back up the stairs and not giving a second glance to the people she left behind in the living room. The blonde heads straight for Regina's bedroom, attempting to slam the door behind her, but Regina catches it before it closes, and instead gently latches it behind her. "Emma," she tries again, watching as she sits down on the bed and stares out the window. "What the hell happened?"

"Did you meet your new cousins?" Emma asks, her voice monotonous.

"They're not my cousins," Regina rolls her eyes. "Not really."

"Did you meet them?" Emma asks again.

"Yes….why?"

"David and Mary-Margaret? Those names don't ring a bell?"

"What are you-" she pauses. "Oh, shit. They're _that_ David and Mary-Margaret? Your foster parents?"

"Yep – the very same. The ones who threatened to kick me out for being a lesbian, and who have only tried to contact me once, right after I won the Olympics."

"Shit, Emma," Regina says, taking a seat next to Emma on the bed.

"Yeah. I was not prepared for that."

"I don't blame you," Regina says, wrapping her arm supportively around Emma's shoulders and pulling the woman closer, placing a kiss on her temple.

"You don't think…" Emma starts.

"What?"

"I mean, your mother orchestrated our relationship for the campaign…you don't think that this is part of that, do you? Ava said they got married last month, so you don't think this could be some ploy to stage a big family reunion to reunite an estranged foster family, do you?"

Regina stiffens, but takes Emma's hand in hers. "Honestly? I wish I could say no. It seems extreme and overly complicated and meddlesome. But, I wouldn't put it past her."

They fall into a comfortable silence, their clasped hands still resting in Regina's lap. Barely a minute passes when they're interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Regina? Emma?" Cora's voice calls as they hear the door open behind them.

They both sigh, and Emma wishes that it was Henry coming to check on them instead. When she catches Regina's apologetic eye, she imagines she's thinking the same thing.

"What, Mother?" Regina answers, not bothering to turn around and face the woman responsible for this intrusion.

"I was wondering where you both ran off to, and more importantly, why you ran off. It's supposed to be a day of family and celebration. That was quite rude."

"Did you know who they were?" Regina spits out, turning around at last.

"Did I know who who were?" Cora asks.

"George's wife and her daughter and son-in-law."

"Ava? And Mary-Margaret and David? What about them?"

"Oh, don't play naïve, Mother. Did you know who they were?"

"Regina, honestly, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"They were my foster parents," Emma speaks up.

"Who was? Ava?"

"No. Mary-Margaret and David," Emma clarifies.

"How is that possible? They're not that old."

"They were really young when they took me in," Emma says.

"So you didn't know?" Regina asks.

"No, of course not," Cora says, before a grin slowly forms on her face. "I wish I did, though. This is even more perfect."

Regina rolls her eyes and turns away from her mother. "Of course you would think so."

"Well, let's head back down then and get you all reacquainted," Cora suggests, though it sounds more like a demand than a recommendation. "They seemed awfully concerned that you ran off."

"I'm sorry, Cora, but I'm really not interested," Emma replies. "We didn't exactly end on great terms, not to mention they're pretty homophobic, so…"

"That's in the past, dear," Cora says. "People can change. And what better day than Christmas to let bygones be bygones?"

"Mother," Regina warns. "Leave it alone. We'll be down later."

"Regina," Cora quickly responds, the scolding tone making it clear it's not up for discussion.

"No, Mother. I get that this is ruining your illusion of a loving happy family holiday for the camera, but you do not get to dictate this. If Emma doesn't want to see them, then she doesn't have to."

"This doesn't concern you, Regina," Cora says.

"Yes, it does. I'm not going to let you push her into something she doesn't want to do. Emma showed up for Christmas. That's all she's contractually obligated to do, and it still makes you look good, so be grateful she and I are even here right now. I'm not going to let you treat her like shit to boost your campaign."

"Regina, it's fine," Emma tries to mediate, not wanting to be the cause of an argument between the mother and daughter pair. She knows Regina and Cora don't always get along, and that the older woman drives Regina crazy more often than not, but she knows Regina loves her mother dearly, and Emma really doesn't want to ruin Christmas for either woman.

"No, Emma," Regina cuts in. "It's not fine. Do you really want to go talk with Mary-Margaret and David?"

Emma doesn't hesitate. "Not even a little bit."

"Then don't let her bully you into it. You're a guest in this house, and if Mommy Dearest doesn't like it, then you and I can spend the rest of our time in Storybrooke at the B&B," Regina says, directing the next portion of her spiel toward her mother, "which I'm sure will look great to your constituents for your daughter and her 'girlfriend' to be seen escaping the mayoral manor and checking into an inn on Christmas — I'm sure that would just scream 'healthy family dynamics'."

"Regina, don't test me," Cora warns.

"No, Mother, don't test me. I've put up with a lot for your campaign, and admittedly a lot of good has come out of it for me, so I can't argue with that fact. But I'm not going to let you push Emma into reopening old wounds that she doesn't want to deal with right now, especially on Christmas."

"Why do you even care, Regina?" Cora scoffs.

"Because, Mother, I love her and—"

"You what?" Cora and Emma both blurt out at the same time.

"What?" Regina asks.

"What did you just say?" Emma asks, pushing herself off the bed and standing up, taking a few steps toward the arguing mother and daughter.

"I…" Regina's face reddens when she realizes what she said. "Oh, shit. That was probably not the best way for that to come out."

Emma's heart falls into her stomach. Of course she didn't mean it like that.

"But it's true," Regina finishes.

"What?" Emma asks again.

"I beg your pardon?" Cora asks.

"Yes, Mother," Regina smirks. "You should be thrilled. You wanted a daughter in a lesbian relationship? Well, you got one."

"Regina Henrietta Mills…" Cora starts.

"No, Mother. I'm done talking to you. Get out of my room."

***.*.***

"Sorry about that," Regina apologizes, closing the door after Cora begrudgingly left the room. She walks over to join Emma, who has moved to sit on the bed once again, leaning back against the headboard.

"It's fine. I've come to expect that from your mom."

"No, not that," Regina says. "I'm so done apologizing for her. I mean I'm sorry for blurting that out like that. Clearly I didn't think that through."

"Oh," Emma says, watching Regina as the brunette moves to join her on top of the duvet. "I definitely was not expecting that."

"Yeah, I bet," Regina says, tentatively reaching for Emma's hand.

"It worked well, though. You definitely shocked her and put an end to the argument," Emma says, forcing a laugh.

"That's not why I did it."

"Oh?" Emma says, not wanting to get her hopes up.

"No. I meant what I said, Emma," Regina says, looking over at her.

"Really?"

"Really."


	22. Chapter 22: Regina (Day 99 continued)

**A/N: **I am so sorry for the 3+ month hiatus. That was never my intention. The pandemic is no joke. (Fortunately I'm fine and haven't had it, but it has wreaked havoc across my office and other faculty/students and made all of our work lives impossible. It's been an exhausting few months and as much as I've wanted to, I haven't had any time or energy to write). I hope you're all staying physically and mentally healthy during this time. Take care of yourselves.

* * *

**22\. Regina: Day 99**

Regina blinks her eyes open as she looks around groggily. She doesn't remember falling asleep, but notices that Emma is curled up next to her on top of the bedspread, her eyes closed and breath slow and steady. She then remembers everything that happened earlier that day — the arrival of unwelcome characters in the dysfunctional family holiday, the argument with her mother, and her confession of her feelings toward Emma that she blurted out unexpectedly. She turns her head enough to look over at the clock on the bedside table, noticing that it's only been about 45 minutes since Cora stormed out of her bedroom after their confrontation.

She feels a buzzing against her hip, and she realizes that must be what woke her up. She carefully takes the phone out of her back pocket and the screen is lit up with five text messages – four from her father, and one from her sister. She slides her finger across the screen, pulling up Zelena's '_What the fuck was that? There's a shitstorm brewing down here'_ that was sent right after Cora left her room, causing her to roll her eyes before closing it out without bothering to respond. She'll explain everything later.

Her father's messages are more scattered and more recent. The first had been sent much earlier, shortly after Emma had left the living room so hastily and Regina had followed. _'Is Emma okay?' _was all it read. The next arrived shortly after Cora had left her room: _'I spoke to your mother and she filled me in.' T_he last two came in rapid succession just minutes ago: _'Come downstairs and let's have a pre-dinner drink in my study', _followed by an immediate _'I want to make sure you're okay.'_

She looks over again at the sleeping blonde next to her and decides she should oblige her father's request. She tenderly brushes a rogue piece of hair out of Emma's face, careful not to wake her, as she slides off the bed quietly. She grabs the notebook on the bedside table and quickly jots down a quick note: _I went downstairs to have a drink with my dad and didn't want to wake you. I have my phone with me – text if you need me and I'll come back up._

***.*.***

"Knock, knock," Regina says as she taps lightly on the open door to Henry's study. "I got your text."

"Oh, yes," he says jovially, looking up from his desk where he's been working on the crossword puzzle. "Close the door and come on in."

Regina does as he asks, watching as her father gets up and walks over to the mini bar he has set up amidst the rows of bookcases. "Gin and tonic or scotch?" He asks her, holding a decanter of clear liquid in one hand and amber in the other.

"Scotch sounds great," she answers, and he smiles as he sets down the clear bottle and reaches for a crystal rocks glass.

"Excellent choice," he says as he prepares two identical drinks, walking over to where she sits on the leather chesterfield sofa. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything with my texts."

"Not at all. We had actually both fallen asleep, apparently. Emma is still napping," Regina says, taking the glass of scotch from her father and taking a sip. It burns in the best way as she swallows it, knowing it'll help relax her after the tense morning they've had, and knowing that this likely won't be an easy conversation. She loves her father more than anything, but she doesn't know what to expect.

"Oh, well I'm sorry to have woken you."

"It's fine," she waves him off. "So, you wanted to speak to me?"

"Yes," he says, turning serious. "Your mother informed me of everything that happened."

"Oh," is all she says.

"First, how's Emma doing?" he asks.

Regina can't help but smile at his concern for her fake girlfriend, though at this point that would hardly be an accurate descriptor of the blonde. She shouldn't be surprised that her father cares how she is – he is a genuine, kind-hearted man, and even though he isn't contractually obligated to give a second thought to the soccer player, he's not one to ignore someone who is staying in his home.

"She's okay, I think," she replies. "We're both exhausted so we didn't really have a ton of time to talk between Mary-Margaret and David showing up, and then Mother barging in upstairs. We both kind of passed out after all that excitement. But, she's handling it, though I don't expect her to want to join them for dinner. She and I will probably go to the diner and grab dinner whenever she gets hungry."

"No need," he says. "George and his family already left."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. When Cora told me who Mary-Margaret and David were, and they explained what happened when Emma was younger, I decided it would be best for them to leave."

"Wow. How did Mom take it when you kicked them out?"

"She was her typical Cora self," he says. "But, it's not her call. She got the photo she wanted with her brother and her campaign already posted it, so at the end of the day that's all she really cared about anyway. And I didn't want people in my house who would make you or Emma uncomfortable."

"I appreciate that, but you didn't need to do that. She and I would have been able to avoid them."

"Nonsense. George and Ava have been married for like five minutes, and Cora and her brother barely tolerate each other as it is. In the hierarchy of whose feelings I care about and who I want to make sure feels welcome in my home, they are pretty much at the bottom of that list."

She chuckles, knowing how her father has always felt about Cora's brother. "Well, thank you, then. I appreciate it, and I know Emma will be grateful."

"You are most welcome," he says, taking a long swig of his scotch. "Now, your mother informed me of some other interesting tidbits of information that came up during your argument."

Regina groans. She had been hoping to avoid this topic, so she decides to feign ignorance. "And what exactly is that?" She knows her mother probably announced Regina's earlier revelation, but she holds out hope that maybe, just for once, her mother would mind her own damn business.

"Oh, just how you're apparently in love with Emma," Henry says, a glint of smugness on his face.

_Damn it, Mother_, she thinks. "Oh, that," she says, looking down at her hands and tracing the intricate etchings in the crystal glass with her thumbs.

"Yes…that."

She can't help but chug the rest of her glass, which had been half full with pure liquor, and sets it down on the coaster on the coffee table. "I don't know what to say."

"Well, is it true?" he asks, genuinely curious.

"I—" she starts. "Yes?"

"Yes?" he asks. "Is that a question or a statement?"

She loves her father, but he can be tedious. "I don't know. I mean, I do…I love her, or I think I do. I don't know," she repeats, running her fingers through her hair before resting her head in her hands.

"Regina," Henry says with gentleness. "Talk to me."

She sighs, looking at the wall across the room instead of her father as she launches into her verbal cascade. "I definitely love her. I don't know if I'm 'in love' with her, but I might be, and if I'm not, I think I could be one day. It definitely feels like more and much different than how I feel about Jefferson or any of my other friends, so it's not some platonic thing. It's all so confusing. I've never even thought about being in a relationship with a woman before, I never questioned my sexuality in that regard, but there's something about her that I'm drawn to. I know this whole thing is fake, and it definitely felt that way at the beginning, but somewhere along the way something shifted. But maybe it's just because of the situation we're in. I mean, I'm an emotional person, so I feel like I would develop some sort of feelings for whoever I was in this scenario with. But then, I don't know. Emma has been talking about how this is messing with her head, but she's actually gay so I can get why this would be confusing for her, but it's messing with my head, too," she rambles.

"Regina," he says again. "You know I love you and will support you no matter what, right?"

She finally looks over at him, as his words brought her back to reality. "Yeah…"

"Do you?" he asks again. "Because I want to make that perfectly clear. I don't care who you love, as long as you're happy and that he — or she, or they — take good care of you."

"I can take care of myself, Dad," she says.

He chuckles. "Believe me, I know that. You know what I meant," he says, smiling when she nods ever so slightly. "Good. Now, does Emma make you happy?"

She doesn't hesitate before responding. "Yes."

"Good," he smiles. "And, does she feel the same way about you?"

"I…" she pauses. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" He quirks an eyebrow.

"Well, we haven't really had time to talk about it. I've sensed something has changed for her over the past month or so, but I didn't think anything of it. And then I was avoiding her for the past week, so we really hadn't spoken much."

"Why were you avoiding her? Did you guys have a fight when you were in New York?"

She can feel herself blush. "Um, no, not exactly," she says. At her father's inquisitive stare, she quickly mumbles, "You don't want to know."

"Oh," he says, his lack of a poker face revealing that he has connected the dots.

She quickly continues her story, really not wanting her father to continue thinking whatever it is that he's thinking, especially because he's most definitely accurate in his assumption. "We talked a little bit this morning before breakfast about how things have shifted between us, but then we got caught up in everything. And then after my declaration upstairs, it was a little awkward."

"How so?"

"I apologized for blurting it out, and she seemed to think that I didn't mean what I said. And she kind of looked sad, I guess, which I'm assuming is a good thing. And when I told her I meant it, she looked relieved."

"And what did she say?"

"Nothing," she says. "She didn't say it back. It was just like this awkward silence, and then she asked if I wanted to watch a lame Hallmark movie, so we put one on. I think we were both passed out within a few minutes after that."

"I see," he says. "How do you think she feels?"

"I'm not sure. I know she's having a hard time keeping feelings out of it. And based on our short conversation before breakfast this morning, I think she sorta feels the same way that I do, where she doesn't know what she feels but that it's definitely not just a platonic fake girlfriend thing."

"Mmmhmm," he nods as he stands up to grab the decanter, bringing it back over and refilling both of their glasses. "Do you want to know what I think?"

"Sure?" she says, not sure where this is going.

"You know I'm an observer by nature," he says, to which she nods. He has a PhD in psychology, so it goes with the territory. But to this day, she's still not sure how a brilliant psychologist married such a textbook narcissist. But, that's a ponderance for her eventual memoir, which based on her life thus far, will be quite the doozey. "Well," he continues, "I can't help but watch your interactions over the last few days, and to notice Emma's body language."

She's confused, and her face must show it, because he goes on to clarify.

"She seems like a private, reserved person. Which, based on what I learned about her childhood from Mary-Margaret and David, as well as doing my own research on her when this whole charade was proposed and from my few conversations with her, isn't surprising. I can tell that she's extremely uncomfortable with all of this, particularly being here. And I don't blame her for one second. It would be a lot for anyone, especially when you're trying to keep up a ruse."

"Okay…"

"So," he continues, "I also couldn't help but notice how she relaxes as soon as you walk into the room."

"That doesn't mean anything," Regina shrugs it off. "She's more comfortable when I'm around, but that would be the case anyway. Like you said, this is an uncomfortable situation."

"Well, yes, but it's not just that. Her face lights up when you are nearby. Her eyes follow you when you get up to get something out of the fridge, or when you leave the room. And not like some scared puppy looking for reassurance that they're safe, but like a subconscious interest in where you are."

Regina isn't buying it, so he continues.

"Or the way she talked about you back at the campaign event the last time you were both in town. She and I had some time to talk and she seemed to genuinely care about you. She had no reason to bullshit me since I know the truth of the situation. But she was eating up the stories I told her about you and asking tons of questions about what you were like when you were little. Even Jefferson hasn't ever cared to ask those kinds of questions about you. And, then there are the touches."

"What touches?"

"The small gestures and soft touches when you're speaking to each other, even when you don't know anyone is watching."

"That's probably just a force of habit after faking our relationship for so long. We always know someone might be watching."

"Maybe, but somehow I doubt that. And, by your own admission, something clearly happened in New York that I can only hope was done behind closed doors without the potential for anyone else to witness."

Regina cringes and shifts uncomfortably in her seat. He has a point, but that night was also fueled by alcohol and general lust. Sex doesn't equal love, and she knows her father knows that, but she's not about to bring up that counterpoint.

Henry continues. "Tell me this — have you been otherwise affectionate when it wasn't part of the act you're putting on? You've been living together for awhile now, and you've been staying in the same room when you've visited us."

"We have separate rooms at home. We stage the photos of us in her bedroom cuddling and watching movies or reading or whatever, but we're basically just roommates."

"You haven't ever kissed or cuddled or anything when there wasn't a camera or other people around?"

"Well, sure, but that's also probably just because of the circumstances. We need to be comfortable with each other for the camera so that it looks natural," she points out.

He raises an eyebrow. "You really think that's all it is? You're the actress in this 'relationship' Regina, not Emma. I could understand you fully embracing and living the role and going full method actor, but I think with Emma, what you see is what you get."

"Maybe. Or maybe she missed her calling as an actress."

"Regina, why are you trying to convince yourself she isn't interested in you?"

She knows it's a trap, that he's putting on his therapist hat, but she can't ignore his question. And, she already knows the answer anyway. "Because, then I don't get my hopes up."

"You don't want to get hurt."

"Of course I don't. No one wants to get hurt."

"So instead you're making yourself miserable by convincing yourself that Emma couldn't possibly feel the same way."

"I'm not making myself miserable," Regina argues. "I'm being realistic. I know she feels something, I'm not that blind. She's made it clear that she's at least interested in figuring out what this is."

"So what's the problem, then?"

She sighs. "I'm worried that for her, it really is just the charade rubbing off on her. She's not an actress, so she hasn't learned how to separate reality from the act."

"No offense, Regina, but it seems like you haven't either."

She shakes her head. "No. I was was very clear at the outset what this was, and what it wasn't. And I haven't ever been interested in women before, so what I feel for Emma isn't just a byproduct of the situation. It's not like playing a lesbian for show has suddenly made me one. I know sexuality is a spectrum, but it's not that fickle."

"No, it's not. But, 10 minutes ago you were convinced that you would have fallen for anyone you were paired with in this situation."

"Yeah, and if she were a guy, then I would maybe think that it was just the role convincing me I was into her. But, the more I think about it, or the more I admit it to myself, I don't think that's the case. The situation obviously pushed us together and forced our hand, but I know I wouldn't feel this way about her if that's all it was," she admits. God, she hates how her father can always manage to pull things out of her. She can't help but continue. "And if I'm honest with myself, it's not the public stuff that made me feel that way. That's really just acting. But when we're not out in public or staging selfies for Instagram, when we're just Regina and Emma, I think that's what made me fall for her."

"And you still don't think she could feel the same way?"

"She could, I guess. But she's also definitely into women. So for her, this is an unusual situation, sure, but anything she feels for me probably is just because she's been pretending to be in a relationship with me."

"Or, she could feel the exact same way that you do. Maybe she's warring with herself trying to figure it out. For you, you're convinced it's real because you always thought you were straight, so the fact that Emma is a woman and you feel this way is proof to you that your feelings are real. For her, maybe what she feels is real. Do you think it's possible that she's trying to protect herself from getting hurt, too, especially if she thinks you're straight? Just because she's a lesbian doesn't mean that her feelings for you can't be real."

"I know. But she knows how I feel. I've told her as much. And she just said that this is whole thing is messing with her head and she doesn't know what she feels or what is a 'side effect' from all of this. I don't want to put myself out there anymore and risk falling for her more if all this is a 'side effect' for her."

"But what if it isn't? Why deny yourself the possibility that it could be something more?"

Regina stays silent. She doesn't have an answer — at least not a good one.

"Tell me this...When did you first tell her how you feel?"

"This morning."

"So you told her less than 12 hours ago that you have feelings for her and that you're not actually straight. You don't think that she maybe needs some time to process? Especially if she's been trying to convince herself that this couldn't be real because she thought you were straight. If she's spent the last three and a half months forcing herself not to develop feelings for you because she thought you were straight, it may take more than 12 hours to undo it."

Well, when he puts it like that, it sounds ridiculous that she would have expected any other reaction from the blonde.

"But you won't know for sure until you talk to her. Really talk to her. You both owe it to yourselves to figure out what this is. Worst case scenario, it really is the situation clouding reality and there may not be anything real underneath it for one or both of you. And, one or both of you might get hurt. But you need to be open to that risk to find out. Clearly, what you're doing now and being stuck in this limbo isn't working well for either of you."

"I know," Regina sighs. She knows they need to talk, but she's still scared that Emma might not truly feel the same way. She doesn't want to get her hopes up.

"Can I make a truly radical suggestion?" he asks, but Regina knows it's not a question. He's going to tell her regardless.

"What is it?"

"Take Emma on a proper date."

She raises her eyebrow. "What?"

"Go out with her for real. Or better yet, make a long weekend out of it so you have more time to just be together as Emma and Regina, out of the spotlight of your mother's constant campaign and staff presence and family photo ops, and away from the fake life you've created for yourselves. You said you think you fell for her when you were just being yourselves, so give yourself time to just go be Regina and Emma without the external pressure. We still have that lake house up North. The roads should be well-cleared by now after the snow yesterday, so if you should be able to get up there pretty easily. Get out of the house and take her up there for a few days. We haven't been there in awhile so it'll be a little dusty and you'll need to stop by the market on the way up to get some food, but otherwise it should be in perfectly usable condition."

"Seriously? You're kicking us out on Christmas?"

"I'm sorry, do you want to continue sitting around stewing in this limbo you've created for yourself, or do you want to go figure your shit out? And more importantly, do you want to spend the rest of the evening listening to your mother bitch about her poll numbers and her brother and that Mal Draco's campaign holiday party photo got 1000 more likes than hers on Instagram?" he asks as he stands up and goes over to his desk, taking the keys to the lake house out of the drawer and dangling them between his fingers.

Regina doesn't even need to think about it. "Thanks, Dad."

He smiles. "You can take my Q7. It'll do better on the roads than your rental. The keys are in the pocket of my coat in the front hall closet."

Regina smiles as she stands up and hands him the rest of her scotch glass. "If I'm driving up to the cabin later, I probably should let you finish this, then."

"It won't go to waste."

"Thanks again," she says, kissing him on the cheek and taking the proffered house key from his hand.

"Go get your girl."

* * *

**A/N: **Again, I apologize for the wait, and I promise the next chapter won't take 3 months to post. Hopefully it'll be up within a few weeks as I find my writing rhythm again. There's some drama ahead ;)


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